British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, But VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator
Access to pornography platforms in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has surged.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers Following Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift fall in visits to leading online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data indicates this decline in viewing persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.
This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that require social media companies to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Government Announce Review of Pornography Legislation
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.
“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for better regulation of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.
Suggested changes to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
