British Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the UK has fallen significantly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in User Numbers Following Rule Enforcement

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an swift fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later data indicates this slump in viewing persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic restrictions by masking connections through another country—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Young People Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it.

This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation

In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software 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 campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.