UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Watchdog

Access to adult content sites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has risen.

Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures After Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this decline in viewing continued beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks

In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing connections via another country—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the government stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Controls

Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.

Suggested changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site algorithms.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.