British Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has increased.
Sharp Fall in User Figures After Rule Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift reduction in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later data indicates this downward trend in viewing continued past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing connections via another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the site to muting the person who posted it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter control of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children.
Proposed amendments to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
