British Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator
Access to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has risen.
Immediate Drop in User Figures Following Law Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an swift reduction in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—surged following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material
In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who shared it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Advocates Call For Stricter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter control of adult content 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 adults portraying children.
Suggested changes to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.