UK Pornography Traffic Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers After Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift decline in traffic to major pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data indicates this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Actions included flagging the content to the site to muting the user who posted it.

This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern online world.

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

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls

Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.