Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these restrictions has surged.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift decline in visits to leading pornography sites, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by masking connections through another country—increased dramatically following 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.
Government Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls
Campaigners for better control of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.
Suggested changes to legislation seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by site systems.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
