British Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, States Watchdog

Traffic to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to bypass these restrictions has increased.

Immediate Fall in User Figures After Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift reduction in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data shows this downward trend in site visits continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based blocks by masking connections through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people before the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Responding to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to blocking the person who shared it.

This research was carried out prior to new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the ministers announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Digital Controls

Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.

Proposed amendments to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent regulatory body to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.

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