British Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Traffic to pornography platforms in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has risen.

Sharp Fall in User Figures After Law Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift fall in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this slump in site visits continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking connections through another country—surged following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material

In other findings, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.

Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation

In a related development, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Campaigners Call For Tighter Online Regulations

Advocates for better control of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.

Proposed changes to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site systems.
• Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.