UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has risen.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures Following Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift fall in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Later analysis shows this downward trend in site visits continued beyond August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the person who shared it.

This research was conducted prior to new regulations came into force that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Government Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls

Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful adults portraying children.

Proposed changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.