Uk'S Age Check Sends Adult Site Traffic Into Freefall – Vpns Take The Spotlight

UK's Age Check Sends Adult Site Traffic into Freefall – VPNs Take the Spotlight

A Dramatic Shift in UK Internet Habits

When the UK introduced age verification checks for adult websites, it set off a seismic shift in online behavior. According to Pornhub, a staggering 77% drop in traffic from UK users was recorded since the Online Safety Act came into effect at the end of July 2025. But has the UK actually lost interest in adult content? Not quite, if you ask Aylo, Pornhub's parent company.

The company suggests that users are simply redirecting their clicks to platforms that skirt the new rules. "There are a number of sites whose traffic has grown exponentially, and these are sites that are not complying," explained Alex Kekesi, an executive at Aylo. With around 240,000 adult platforms on the web, it's no shock some have ignored the government’s demands.

VPNs: The Go-to Workaround

Beyond simply swapping websites, another factor is driving the traffic plunge – VPNs. These handy tools encrypt and reroute internet traffic, letting users bypass geographic restrictions and age checks by connecting through servers in other countries.

Nord Security's Head of Public Relations, Laura Tyrylytė, noted the surge: "It's naive to think that users have stopped watching such content; they have just moved to other methods." Following the legislation rollout, Proton VPN experienced a 1400% spike in signups, and Cybernews reported over 10 million VPN downloads in just the first half of the year.

Concerns Over VPN Safety

But it's not all smooth sailing. Many free VPN apps, often from countries with dubious privacy histories like China, are notorious for harvesting user data. Tyrylytė advises sticking to reputable names like NordVPN and Proton VPN to ensure data protection.

Ofcom's Take and the Future of Online Safety

The UK’s communications watchdog, Ofcom, stands by the Online Safety Act, claiming it effectively bars minors from adult content. While VPN usage reportedly has dipped since July, Ofcom maintains that adult site visits in the UK are down overall.

With the Online Safety Act still in its infancy, its full impact is yet to unfold. However, as long as privacy concerns linger, users will likely continue to seek methods that could potentially jeopardize their data security.