The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act, which took effect July 25, 2025, has led to a significant decline in adult website traffic while driving increased VPN usage as users seek to bypass new age verification requirements. Data from Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, and analytics firm Similarweb shows visitor numbers to the top 10 most-visited adult sites have settled at lower levels than before the law’s implementation.
Ofcom is the United Kingdom’s independent communications regulator, responsible for overseeing television, radio, telecommunications, and online services. Established in 2003, the organization regulates media content standards, ensures fair competition in communications markets, and protects consumers from harmful or offensive material. Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom gained expanded powers to enforce age verification requirements on websites hosting adult content, with authority to impose substantial fines on non-compliant platforms.
Pornhub, the largest pornography service in the UK, saw unique visitors drop to 7.2 million last month, a 36% decline from August 2024’s 11.3 million users. Visits to Xvideos and Chaturbate, the next two largest sites, fell 27% and 18% respectively over the same period.
The Online Safety Act requires websites with explicit content to install age verification systems to prevent minors from accessing adult material. Companies that fail to comply face fines of £18 million or 10% of worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. Five million age checks are now completed daily in the UK, the Age Verification Providers Association reports.
VPN usage surged following the law’s implementation, more than doubling from 650,000 users to 1.5 million by mid-August as users sought to circumvent age verification requirements. However, VPN usage has since declined to approximately 900,000 users in November.
It remains unclear whether users have switched to smaller pornography sites or are consuming less adult content overall. It’s also unknown how many British minors previously visited these sites before the restrictions took effect.
Ofcom has launched investigations into four companies operating 34 pornographic sites to assess compliance with age verification requirements. AVS Group Ltd became the first company fined under the new law, receiving a £1 million penalty for failing to implement required age assurance measures.
The law extends beyond pornography sites, with platforms including Substack, Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Feeld announcing compliance with UK age verification requirements. Despite the legislation’s child safety objectives, research indicates that age verification laws do not effectively prevent minors from accessing adult content.
