🔗 Share this article UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, States Watchdog Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to bypass these blocks has risen. Sharp Fall in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift decline in visits to major pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data indicates this downward trend in site visits persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites. Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who shared it. This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material. Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the government announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age. “The examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official. 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 encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children. Proposed amendments to government bills aim to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms. Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to bypass these blocks has risen. Sharp Fall in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift decline in visits to major pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data indicates this downward trend in site visits persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites. Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who shared it. This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were serving harmful material. Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the government announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age. “The examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official. 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 encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children. Proposed amendments to government bills aim to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms. Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms. Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content. The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.