British Pornography Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Use Surges, States Watchdog
Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the use of tools designed to circumvent these restrictions has surged.
Immediate Drop in User Numbers After Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an immediate fall in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data shows this slump in viewing continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by masking connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content online. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the person who shared it.
This survey was conducted before new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.
“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Regulations
Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
