🔗 Share this article British Pornography Traffic Falls Following Age Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Regulator Access to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has increased. Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures After Law Implementation The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows 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. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this decline in viewing continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking connections through another country—surged following 25 July. User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites. Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful 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 rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world. “The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children. Proposed changes to government bills seek to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child. Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms. Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create private images without permission. Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
Access to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has increased. Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures After Law Implementation The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to major pornography sites, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows 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. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis indicates this decline in viewing continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking connections through another country—surged following 25 July. User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites. Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful 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 rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world. “The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister. Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children. Proposed changes to government bills seek to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child. Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms. Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create private images without permission. Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content. The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.