British Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator

Access to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has increased.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

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

Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions

In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic restrictions by routing connections through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.

This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the ministers announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Controls

Campaigners for better regulation of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.

Suggested changes to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.

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