Access to adult content sites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has surged.
Immediate Fall in User Figures Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate reduction in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections via another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content online. Steps taken included flagging the content to the platform to muting the user who shared it.
This research was conducted before new rules took effect that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.
“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.
Proposed changes to legislation seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
