UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has increased.

Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the top provider in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis shows this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the site to muting the person who posted it.

This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws

In a related development, the government announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.