British Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog

Access to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the use of tools designed to dodge these barriers has increased.

Sharp Fall in User Figures After Law Enforcement

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt decline in traffic to popular pornography sites, including the leading site in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later data indicates this decline in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing internet traffic through another country—increased dramatically following 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the platform to muting the user who shared it.

This research was conducted before new regulations came into force that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Government Launch Examination of Pornography Laws

Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.

Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Campaigners for better control of adult content have called on 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 adults portraying children.

Proposed changes to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking 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 older performer plays the role of a child.
• Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally apply to the digital age.