UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these restrictions has surged.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures After Law Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the leading site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the late July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by routing internet traffic via another country—surged after 25 July.

User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions included reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This survey was carried out prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation

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

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls

Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.

The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.