UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to dodge these blocks has surged.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate decline in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis shows this downward trend in site visits persisted beyond August.

Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.

Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions included reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This survey was carried out prior to new rules came into force that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation

Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.

“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls

Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:

• Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.