British Pornography Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Watchdog
Traffic to pornography platforms in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has surged.
Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an swift reduction in visits to major pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data 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, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by routing connections via another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Regulations
Advocates for better control of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
