UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Verifications, But VPN Use Spikes, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Rule Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt decline in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing persisted past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks

In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections via another nation—surged after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions included flagging the content to the platform to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.

Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation

In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Regulations

Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children.

Proposed changes to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.