🔗 Share this article British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Age Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the UK has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has risen. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an immediate reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this decline in site visits continued past August. Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—surged after 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services. Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the platform to muting the user who posted it. This survey was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children. Proposed amendments to legislation seek to: Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site algorithms. Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate private images without permission. Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the UK has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has risen. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an immediate reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this decline in site visits continued past August. Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—surged after 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services. Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the platform to muting the user who posted it. This survey was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Laws In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children. Proposed amendments to legislation seek to: Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site algorithms. Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate private images without permission. Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.