British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, Yet VPN Use Spikes, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly since the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to dodge these barriers has risen.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an immediate decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the leading site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data shows this decline in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks

In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the checks began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material

In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the government announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Stricter Online Regulations

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

Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.