UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Watchdog

Traffic to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has increased.

Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Law Implementation

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the leading site in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Later data shows this decline in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by routing connections through another nation—surged following 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Young People Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content online. Actions included flagging the content to the platform to muting the person who posted it.

This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation

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

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.

Proposed changes to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating 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.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.