UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Age Verifications, But VPN Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Traffic to pornography platforms in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has risen.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this decline in viewing persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic via another nation—surged after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.

This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.

Suggested amendments to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.