UK Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog
Access to pornography websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has surged.
Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers Following Law Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate decline in visits to leading pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis suggests this decline in site visits continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—surged following 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material
In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform 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 harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for better control of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children.
Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
