🔗 Share this article UK Pornography Traffic Falls Following Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Regulator Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these barriers has risen. Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt decline in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July implementation date. Later data indicates this slump in site visits persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections through another country—surged after 25 July. Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the verification began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites. Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content online. Actions included reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who shared it. This survey was carried out before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material. Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws In a related development, the government announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world. “The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using youthful performers portraying children. Suggested changes to government bills seek to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site algorithms. Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally apply to the digital age.
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these barriers has risen. Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt decline in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July implementation date. Later data indicates this slump in site visits persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections through another country—surged after 25 July. Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the verification began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites. Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content online. Actions included reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who shared it. This survey was carried out before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material. Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws In a related development, the government announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world. “The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using youthful performers portraying children. Suggested changes to government bills seek to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site algorithms. Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally apply to the digital age.