UK Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog
Access to pornography websites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has surged.
Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures After Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift fall in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as 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 compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Later data indicates this downward trend in site visits continued past August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic restrictions by routing connections through another nation—surged after 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content
In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Proposed changes to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports 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 online sphere.
