Uk'S Porn Traffic Dips With New Age Checks, But Vpns Surge

Age Restrictions Shake Up UK Porn Traffic

In the wake of new age verification checks introduced this year, the UK's pornography traffic has taken a noticeable hit. According to Ofcom, the communications watchdog, the enforcement of these age checks on July 25 led to a significant decline in visits to popular porn sites, including the UK's most-visited, Pornhub.

Visitor numbers to Pornhub in August plummeted to 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the previous year. Ofcom's annual Online Nation report highlights that the overall visits to the top 10 pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a lower level than before the checks were enforced.

VPN Usage Skyrockets

While porn site visits decreased, the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass these restrictions has surged. Ofcom revealed that VPN use more than doubled after the July implementation of age checks, peaking at over 1.4 million users in mid-August, up from 650,000.

“Since August, VPN usage has steadily declined,” Ofcom noted, adding that the daily use of VPNs remains significantly lower than pornography site user numbers.

Despite Pornhub's parent company acknowledging the dip in user numbers as expected, similar trends have been observed wherever stringent age checks have been imposed, driving users to non-compliant sites.

Teen Safety and Government Initiatives

Elsewhere in the report, Ofcom found that around 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online, such as reporting it or blocking the poster. These findings come before the implementation of new rules under the Online Safety Act, aimed at protecting minors from harmful content.

In response to growing concerns, the government announced plans to review the criminal laws around pornography, particularly focusing on harmful depictions like incest or content promoting child abuse. The review aims to ensure the law meets the challenges of the digital age.

Campaigners Push for Stricter Controls

Campaigners are urging the government to tighten regulations on “barely legal” porn, such as content featuring adults posing as children. Proposals include extending existing legal protections to online content and introducing a new body alongside Ofcom to enforce these measures.

Conservative peer Gabby Bertin and child online safety advocate Beeban Kidron have proposed amendments to close loopholes allowing the distribution of violent and harmful material online, emphasizing protections that exist offline should be mirrored in digital spaces.