UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has increased.
Immediate Fall in User Figures Following Law Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in traffic to leading pornography sites, including 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, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this slump in site visits continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)โwhich can get around location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another nationโmore than doubled after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains โmuch lowerโ than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken included reporting the content to the site to muting the user who posted it.
This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws
Separately, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
โThe examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,โ said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Digital Regulations
Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called โbarely legalโ material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using young-looking performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like childrenโs bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Add further controls on โnudificationโ software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
