🔗 Share this article UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased. Sharp Drop in User Numbers After Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt decline in traffic to popular pornography sites, including the top site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data shows this decline in site visits persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based blocks by masking connections through another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July. User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites. Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it. This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister. Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations Advocates for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children. Suggested amendments to legislation aim to: Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms. Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess 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 unlawful content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased. Sharp Drop in User Numbers After Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt decline in traffic to popular pornography sites, including the top site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data shows this decline in site visits persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based blocks by masking connections through another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July. User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites. Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it. This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister. Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations Advocates for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children. Suggested amendments to legislation aim to: Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms. Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess 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 unlawful content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.