🔗 Share this article British Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Verifications, But VPN Usage Spikes, States Watchdog Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has surged. Sharp Drop in User Figures After Rule Enforcement The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift fall in traffic to major pornography sites, including the top site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this decline in viewing persisted past August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled after 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites. Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the person who shared it. This research was carried out before new rules came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material. Government Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world. “The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children. Suggested amendments to government bills aim to: Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child. Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site systems. Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has surged. Sharp Drop in User Figures After Rule Enforcement The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift fall in traffic to major pornography sites, including the top site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this decline in viewing persisted past August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled after 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites. Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the person who shared it. This research was carried out before new rules came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material. Government Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world. “The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children. Suggested amendments to government bills aim to: Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child. Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site systems. Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.