UK Adult Content Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator

Access to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to dodge these barriers has increased.

Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate reduction in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by masking connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the person who posted it.

This survey was carried out prior to new rules came into force that require platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.

“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Controls

Advocates for better control of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking performers 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 include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site systems.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally apply to the online sphere.