UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Access to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has increased.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures After Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Later data shows this decline in viewing continued past August.
Surge in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks
In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken included flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who shared it.
This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Government Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the government announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, for example, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Regulations
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 appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Suggested changes to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site systems.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
