UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator
Access to pornography sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an swift reduction in visits to popular pornography sites, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in viewing continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by routing connections via another nation—surged following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who posted it.
This survey was carried out prior to new regulations came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Government Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.
Suggested changes to legislation seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
