British Adult Content Traffic Declines After Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, States Watchdog
Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to bypass these blocks has risen.
Immediate Drop in User Numbers Following Law Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt fall in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data indicates this decline in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people before the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the site to blocking the user who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the government stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful adults dressed as children.
Proposed changes to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
