UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Regulator

Traffic to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these barriers has increased.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate fall in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the most visited site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this decline in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken included flagging the material to the site to muting the person who posted it.

This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws

In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Stricter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.

Suggested changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent regulatory body to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.