British Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog

Access to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has surged.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures After Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift reduction in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the late July deadline. Later data suggests this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks

Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content online. Steps taken included flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who shared it.

This survey was carried out before new regulations came into force that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.

Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:

• Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.

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