🔗 Share this article British Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Checks, But VPN Use Surges, States Regulator Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to bypass these blocks has surged. Sharp Fall in Visitor Numbers After Law Enforcement The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing internet traffic through another country—more than doubled following 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites. Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the person who posted it. This research was conducted before new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material. Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Laws Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world. “The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Stricter Online Controls Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children. Suggested changes to government bills aim to: Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child. Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site systems. Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to bypass these blocks has surged. Sharp Fall in Visitor Numbers After Law Enforcement The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing internet traffic through another country—more than doubled following 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites. Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the person who posted it. This research was conducted before new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material. Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Laws Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world. “The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Stricter Online Controls Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children. Suggested changes to government bills aim to: Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child. Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site systems. Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.