UK Adult Content Traffic Declines After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop since the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has surged.

Immediate Drop in User Numbers After Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in visits to major pornography sites, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the late July deadline. Subsequent data shows this decline in viewing continued beyond August.

Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, 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 material to the site to muting the user who posted it.

This survey was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws

Separately, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.

Suggested changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.