UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly since the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has increased.

Sharp Fall in Visitor Numbers After Rule Implementation

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an prompt decline in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the user who posted it.

This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful 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 algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Government Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Controls

Advocates for better regulation of adult content 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 using young-looking performers portraying children.

Suggested changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.

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