British Adult Content Traffic Declines After Identity Verifications, But VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator
Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has increased.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift reduction in traffic to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by routing connections via another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who posted it.
This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require social media companies 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 scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter control of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
