British Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Regulator
Access to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these barriers has increased.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease 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 settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this decline in viewing continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another country—surged after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it.
This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation
Separately, the government announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.
Suggested changes to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
