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UK Porn Site Visits Plummet After Age Checks Introduced
10 Dec
Summary
- UK porn site visitor numbers dropped significantly after July 25.
- Pornhub saw 1.5 million fewer UK visitors in August compared to 2024.
- VPN usage more than doubled following the introduction of age checks.
Visitor numbers to the UK's most popular pornography websites have significantly declined following the introduction of age verification on July 25. Ofcom reported an immediate drop in traffic to major sites, including Pornhub, which saw 1.5 million fewer UK visitors in August compared to the same period in 2024.
In response to these age checks, the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent viewing restrictions surged, more than doubling from 650,000 to over 1.4 million users by mid-August. While VPN usage has since decreased, it remains a notable trend since the new regulations.
Additionally, about 60% of teenagers aged 11-17 reported taking action after encountering harmful content online. The government also announced a review of criminal laws related to pornography to address evolving online challenges, including harmful depictions and material encouraging child sexual abuse.
