đ Share this article UK Pornography Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Regulator Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the use of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has surged. Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Rule Implementation The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a âlower levelâ than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data shows this decline in viewing continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN softwareâwhich can bypass location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nationâmore than doubled after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is âmuch lowerâ than user numbers for pornography services. Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it. This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is âfit for purposeâ in the ever-developing digital age. âThe review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,â said a government official. Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children. Suggested changes to legislation aim to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like childrenâs bedrooms. Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms. Add additional controls on ânudificationâ technology, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content. The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the use of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has surged. Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Rule Implementation The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a âlower levelâ than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data shows this decline in viewing continued past August. Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN softwareâwhich can bypass location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another nationâmore than doubled after 25 July. User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is âmuch lowerâ than user numbers for pornography services. Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it. This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material. Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is âfit for purposeâ in the ever-developing digital age. âThe review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,â said a government official. Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children. Suggested changes to legislation aim to: Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like childrenâs bedrooms. Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms. Add additional controls on ânudificationâ technology, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content. The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.