British Pornography Site Visits Declines After Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator

Traffic to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the usage of tools designed to dodge these barriers has increased.

Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt decline in traffic to leading online adult platforms, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who posted it.

This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Government Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Stricter Online Regulations

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

Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
• Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally apply to the digital age.