UK Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Traffic to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has increased.
Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections via another country—surged following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the site to muting the person who posted it.
This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners 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 performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence 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 often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
