UK Pornography Traffic Falls Following Age Verifications, But VPN Usage Spikes, States Regulator
Traffic to pornography websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to bypass these blocks has increased.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an immediate decline in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates 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 ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Subsequent analysis shows this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by routing internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Actions included reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.
This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.
Government Announce Review of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:
- Ban 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 acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.
