British Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Watchdog

Access to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in User Figures After Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in visits to leading online adult platforms, including the leading site in the UK. Figures 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 adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.

Young People Responding to Harmful Material

In other findings, the regulator'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 carried out prior to new regulations came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.

“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls

Campaigners for better regulation of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed changes to legislation aim to:

• Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.