UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Regulator

Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has risen.

Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift decline in visits to major pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis shows this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks

Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.

User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it.

This survey was carried out prior to new regulations came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Government Launch Examination of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.