UK Pornography Site Visits Declines Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has surged.
Immediate Drop in User Figures After Law Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate decline in traffic to popular pornography sites, including the top provider in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nation—surged following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who posted it.
This survey was carried out before new regulations came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.
“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations
Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful adults dressed as children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by site systems.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
