British Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, States Regulator

Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these barriers has increased.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Law Enforcement

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt reduction in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis shows this decline in site visits persisted beyond August.

Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing internet traffic through another nation—surged after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the site to blocking the user who shared it.

This research was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws

Separately, the government announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern digital age.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls

Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate private images without permission.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.