🔗 Share this article British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, States Watchdog Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of tools designed to bypass these barriers has risen. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Rule Implementation The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate fall in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this decline in site visits persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July. User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites. Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it. This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that require platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age. “The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official. Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children. Suggested amendments to legislation seek to: Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems. Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of tools designed to bypass these barriers has risen. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Rule Implementation The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate fall in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this decline in site visits persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July. User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites. Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it. This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that require platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age. “The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official. Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children. Suggested amendments to legislation seek to: Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems. Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.