British Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, States Regulator

Traffic to adult content platforms in the UK has fallen significantly after the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to dodge these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate fall in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the late July deadline. Later analysis shows this decline in site visits continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who shared it.

This survey was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Controls

Campaigners for better control of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.

Proposed changes to government bills aim to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.