British Pornography Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to pornography websites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has increased.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt decline in visits to leading pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data indicates this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections via another country—surged after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current numbers at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed 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 muting the person who posted it.
This research was carried out prior to new regulations took effect that require platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the legislation 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, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site systems.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally apply to the online sphere.