Traffic to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has surged.
Sharp Drop in User Figures After Law Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in visits to leading online adult platforms, including the leading site in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Later data shows this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was carried out before new rules took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Government Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, for example, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
- Add further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
