British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, But VPN Use Surges, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has surged.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers After Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the top provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to 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 prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted past August.

Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based blocks by masking connections through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users before the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the site to muting the user who posted it.

This survey was conducted before new regulations came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.

Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.

Suggested amendments to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.