British Pornography Traffic Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator

Access to pornography sites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in visits to leading pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site 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 markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.

Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by routing connections through another country—increased dramatically following 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Advocates Push For Tighter Online Regulations

Advocates for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Add further controls 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 act on complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.