UK Pornography Traffic Falls After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these barriers has surged.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures After Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate reduction in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this platform 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 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.
Young People 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 distressing content online. Actions included flagging the content to the platform to blocking the user who posted it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation
In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for better 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 performers dressed as children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site systems.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.
