British Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Verifications, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Regulator
Traffic to adult content platforms in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has surged.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers After Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an prompt decline in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows 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 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in site visits continued past August.
Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by masking connections through another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people before the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to muting the person who shared it.
This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation
In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful adults portraying children.
Proposed amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
