UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, States Regulator
Access to adult content platforms in the UK has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has surged.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift decline in visits to popular pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing connections via another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included reporting the content to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Government Launch Examination of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.
“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Regulations
Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.
Suggested changes to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
