British Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has surged.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in visits to leading pornography sites, including the most visited site in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Later data suggests this slump in viewing persisted past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing connections via another nation—surged after 25 July.

User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken included flagging the material to the site to blocking the person who shared it.

This research was conducted prior to new regulations came into force that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls

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

Suggested changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.

The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.