UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has surged.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an prompt decline in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Later data shows this slump in viewing continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing connections through another country—surged after 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Teenagers Responding to Harmful Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to muting the user who posted it.

This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Controls

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.

Proposed changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of illegal content.

The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.