British Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Regulator
Traffic to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data shows this decline in site visits persisted beyond August.
Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—surged following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users prior to the checks began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions included reporting the content to the site to blocking the person who shared it.
This survey was conducted before new rules took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law relating to 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 regarding criminalising, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter control of adult content have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.
Suggested changes to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
