UK Pornography Traffic Falls Following Identity Verifications, But VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator
Access to adult content platforms in the UK has fallen significantly after the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has surged.
Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers After Rule Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by routing connections via another country—increased dramatically following 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content online. Actions included flagging the content to the site to muting the person who shared it.
This research was carried out prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the government announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Call For Stricter Online Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.