🔗 Share this article UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, States Regulator Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has increased. Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. In total, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent data shows this slump in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services. Young People Responding to Harmful Material Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it. This survey was conducted before new regulations came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children. Proposed changes to legislation seek to: Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of making 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 research suggests is often promoted by platform systems. Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content. The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has increased. Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. In total, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent data shows this slump in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services. Young People Responding to Harmful Material Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it. This survey was conducted before new regulations came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children. Proposed changes to legislation seek to: Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of making 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 research suggests is often promoted by platform systems. Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content. The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.