UK Pornography Site Visits Declines Following Age Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen.

Sharp Drop in User Numbers Following Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift decline in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data indicates this slump in viewing continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions

In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—surged following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with current numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Teenagers Responding to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that compel platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws

In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.

Suggested amendments to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of illegal content.

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