British Adult Content Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has risen.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers After Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt fall in visits to leading online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material

In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the platform to muting the person who shared it.

This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that require platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Adult Content Laws

In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls

Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to legislation aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content.

The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.