đ Share this article British Pornography Site Visits Declines After Age Verifications, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these restrictions has increased. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate fall in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN softwareâwhich can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections via another countryâsurged following 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains âmuch lowerâ than traffic for adult services. Young People Responding to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to muting the user who shared it. This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws In a related development, the government stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the modern digital age. âThe examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,â stated a justice minister. Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children. Suggested changes to legislation aim to: Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like childrenâs bedrooms. Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems. Introduce further restrictions on ânudificationâ software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content. The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these restrictions has increased. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate fall in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN softwareâwhich can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections via another countryâsurged following 25 July. Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains âmuch lowerâ than traffic for adult services. Young People Responding to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to muting the user who shared it. This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws In a related development, the government stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the modern digital age. âThe examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,â stated a justice minister. Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called âbarely legalâ material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children. Suggested changes to legislation aim to: Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like childrenâs bedrooms. Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child. Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems. Introduce further restrictions on ânudificationâ software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content. The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.