British Pornography Traffic Falls Following Age Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has surged.
Immediate Drop in User Figures After Law Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift reduction in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis suggests this decline in viewing persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.
User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who posted it.
This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls
Advocates for better control of online pornography have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful adults portraying children.
Suggested changes to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
