British Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has surged.

Immediate Drop in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in traffic to leading online adult platforms, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data suggests this slump in viewing persisted past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by routing internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with current numbers at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it.

This survey was carried out before new regulations came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children.

Suggested changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
• Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.