🔗 Share this article UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Age Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Regulator Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has increased. Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis suggests this decline in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July. Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services. Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it. This survey was conducted before new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Regulations Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children. Suggested amendments to legislation seek to: Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms. Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create private images without permission. Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has increased. Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis suggests this decline in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July. Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services. Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it. This survey was conducted before new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age. “The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Regulations Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children. Suggested amendments to legislation seek to: Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms. Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create private images without permission. Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.