🔗 Share this article British Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Regulator Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has surged. Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures After Rule Enforcement The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services. Teenagers Responding to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content online. Actions included reporting the material to the site to muting the user who shared it. This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world. “The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official. Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Controls Advocates for better control of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers portraying children. Suggested amendments to government bills seek to: Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments 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 tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms. Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has surged. Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures After Rule Enforcement The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services. Teenagers Responding to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content online. Actions included reporting the material to the site to muting the user who shared it. This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world. “The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official. Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Controls Advocates for better control of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers portraying children. Suggested amendments to government bills seek to: Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments 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 tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms. Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.