🔗 Share this article British Pornography Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, States Watchdog Access to pornography sites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these barriers has risen. Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Implementation The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted past August. Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July. User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services. Young People Responding to Damaging Material In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it. This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent 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 timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing harmful material. Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws In a related development, the government stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world. “The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister. Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Regulations Advocates for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children. Suggested changes to legislation aim to: Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems. Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate private images without permission. Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content. The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
Access to pornography sites in the UK has fallen significantly after the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these barriers has risen. Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Implementation The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024. Overall, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted past August. Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July. User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services. Young People Responding to Damaging Material In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it. This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent 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 timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing harmful material. Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws In a related development, the government stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world. “The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister. Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Regulations Advocates for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children. Suggested changes to legislation aim to: Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems. Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate private images without permission. Create a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content. The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.