UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Regulator
Access to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Law Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in visits to major online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this slump in site visits continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to muting the person who shared it.
This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.
Proposed amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
