UK Pornography Site Visits Declines After Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Watchdog
Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has surged.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an swift reduction in traffic to major pornography sites, including the most visited 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 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis shows this slump in site visits continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This research was carried out prior to new regulations came into force that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for better control of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.
Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
