🔗 Share this article UK Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator Access to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen. Sharp Fall in User Figures After Rule Enforcement The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this slump in site visits continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—surged after 25 July. Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites. Young People Responding to Harmful Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the user who posted it. This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material. Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age. “The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful adults portraying children. Suggested changes to government bills aim to: Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms. Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
Access to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen. Sharp Fall in User Figures After Rule Enforcement The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this slump in site visits continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—surged after 25 July. Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites. Young People Responding to Harmful Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the user who posted it. This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material. Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age. “The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful adults portraying children. Suggested changes to government bills aim to: Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms. Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.