British Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Watchdog

Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals 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.

In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking connections via another country—surged following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the site to blocking the person who posted it.

This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Controls

Campaigners for better control of online pornography have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.