British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Regulator

Access to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to bypass these blocks has increased.

Sharp Drop in User Figures After Rule Implementation

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an immediate decline in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based restrictions by routing internet traffic through another country—surged following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Regulations

Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site systems.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.