British Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator

Access to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has risen.

Sharp Fall in User Figures After Law Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate fall in visits to major pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing continued beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another country—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.

This research was conducted before new regulations came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.

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

Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Controls

Advocates for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children.

Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.