British Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these restrictions has risen.
Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in visits to leading pornography sites, including the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the content to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was conducted before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation
Separately, the government announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Proposed changes to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings 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.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.
