UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, States Watchdog

Access to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these barriers has increased.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Law Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift fall in visits to leading pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent data indicates this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.

Surge in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic through another nation—surged following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Young People Responding to Harmful Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included flagging the content to the platform to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was carried out before new regulations came into force that require platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.