UK Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Watchdog

Traffic to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has surged.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt reduction in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data indicates this slump in viewing persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based blocks by masking internet traffic via another country—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to blocking the person who posted it.

This research was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Government Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Regulations

Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using young-looking performers dressed as children.

Suggested changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.