UK Adult Content Traffic Declines After Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator

Access to adult content platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has increased.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an swift decline in traffic to major pornography sites, such as the most visited site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this decline in site visits continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing internet traffic through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.

User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.

Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the platform to muting the person who shared it.

This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that require social media companies to prevent children from seeing 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 platform feed, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.

Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws

In a related development, the government announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls

Advocates for better control of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.