UK Pornography Sites See Traffic Decline After Age Verification Rules Enforced

Traffic to major adult sites in the UK has significantly decreased following the enforcement of new age verification rules, according to data from Similarweb. Leading site Pornhub saw a 47% reduction in visits between July 24 and August 8, losing over a million visitors in just two weeks. Other adult websites like XVideos and OnlyFans also experienced traffic drops of 47% and 10%, respectively. These changes followed the implementation of age verification requirements from the Online Safety Act on July 25, which aimed to prevent underage users from accessing explicit material. As part of these measures, sites now require age checks through methods such as credit card verification, photo ID, and even selfies. Interestingly, smaller and less regulated sites saw an increase in visits, while VPN (Virtual Private Network) apps surged in popularity. VPNs allow users to mask their location, potentially bypassing UK-specific age restrictions. Experts have raised concerns that these restrictions may push users toward more extreme content, including material on the dark web. Ofcom, the UK media regulator, estimates that 14 million people in the country watch online pornography. The government’s efforts are part of broader moves to make the internet safer for children, but critics argue that the unintended consequences could be more harmful.