đ Share this article British Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Use Surges, States Regulator Access to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has increased. Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures After Law Enforcement The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to leading pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data suggests this downward trend in site visits continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)âwhich can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another countryâincreased dramatically after 25 July. User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains âmuch lowerâ than traffic for pornography services. Teenagers Responding to Harmful Material Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the user who posted it. This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material. Government Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. âThe examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,â said a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children. Proposed amendments to government bills aim to: Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like childrenâs bedrooms. Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform systems. Add additional controls on ânudificationâ technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content. The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
Access to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has increased. Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures After Law Enforcement The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to leading pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data suggests this downward trend in site visits continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)âwhich can bypass geographic blocks by masking internet traffic via another countryâincreased dramatically after 25 July. User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains âmuch lowerâ than traffic for pornography services. Teenagers Responding to Harmful Material Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the user who posted it. This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material. Government Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age. âThe examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,â said a government official. Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful adults dressed as children. Proposed amendments to government bills aim to: Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like childrenâs bedrooms. Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child. Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform systems. Add additional controls on ânudificationâ technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content. The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.