UK Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Regulator

Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly since the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to bypass these blocks has increased.

Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Rule Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis suggests this decline in viewing persisted beyond August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks

In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—surged after 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material

In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.

This research was carried out before new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation

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

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Push For Tighter Online Regulations

Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.

Suggested changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.