UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, States Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has risen.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate decline in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a drop 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 end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this decline in viewing persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing internet traffic via another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the content to the site to muting the person who posted it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Government Launch Review of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the ministers announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, for example, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Controls
Advocates for better control of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.
Suggested changes to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
