UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Checks, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has increased.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt reduction in visits to leading pornography sites, including the top provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis suggests this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nation—surged following 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content online. Steps taken included reporting the content to the platform to blocking the user who posted it.

This research was conducted before new rules took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers 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 ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
• Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.