UK Adult Content Traffic Declines After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has increased.
Immediate Fall in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in visits to major pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease 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 stabilized at a âlower levelâ than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)âwhich can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections through another countryâmore than doubled following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is âmuch lowerâ than user numbers for adult services.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.
This survey was conducted before new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.
Government Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
âThe review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,â said a government official.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Regulations
Advocates for better control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers dressed as children.
Suggested changes to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like childrenâs bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls on ânudificationâ technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
