British Adult Content Traffic Falls After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has increased.

Immediate Drop in User Figures Following Law Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in site visits continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing connections via another country—increased dramatically following 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the user who posted it.

This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws

In a related development, the ministers announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.

Suggested changes to legislation aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.