UK Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog

Access to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the introduction 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 circumvent these blocks has surged.

Sharp Fall in User Figures After Rule Implementation

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period 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 late July deadline. Later analysis shows this slump in viewing continued beyond August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks

In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic restrictions by masking connections through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material

In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions included flagging the content to the site to blocking the person who posted it.

This survey was conducted before new rules took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Controls

Advocates for better control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.