UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator

Access to pornography platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to bypass these restrictions has increased.

Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers After Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift reduction in visits to major pornography sites, such as the most visited site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a drop 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 markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Later data shows this decline in site visits continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by routing connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions included reporting the content to the site to blocking the person who posted it.

This research was conducted before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws

In a related development, the government announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Stricter Digital Regulations

Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.

Suggested changes to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.