In 2025, the implementation of the UK’s Online Safety Act age verification requirements dramatically reshaped internet usage patterns — particularly around adult websites and VPNs (Increase VPN). According to UK communications regulator Ofcom, visits to major pornography platforms such as Pornhub, Xvideos, and Chaturbate have dropped significantly since mandatory age checks came into force on 25 July 2025. Conversely, VPN (Virtual Private Network) usage surged as many users attempted to circumvent the age verification systems.
This trend highlights the complex intersection of internet regulation, digital privacy, and user behavior, raising important questions about the effectiveness of age verification laws and the broader role of VPNs in maintaining online anonymity.
How Age Verification Affected Adult Site Traffic
Under the Online Safety Act, websites hosting adult content are required to implement “robust age assurance” measures to prevent minors from accessing explicit material online. These measures include identity verification tools such as ID uploads, credit card checks, or third‑party age‑verification services.
The result has been a sharp decline in web traffic to major adult sites. Ofcom reports that Pornhub’s UK unique visitor count declined by 36% compared to the previous year, and other leading platforms saw similar drops. This indicates that the age checks have had a meaningful effect on reducing direct access to adult content from UK IP addresses.
While these may be signs of regulatory success, they do not necessarily paint the full picture — particularly when considering how users have responded by turning to VPNs.
VPN Usage Surges as Users Seek Workarounds
As age‑verification requirements took effect, VPN downloads and daily usage more than doubled in the UK, evidence that many users are choosing to mask their location or identity to avoid compliance hurdles. UK daily active VPN users reportedly jumped from around 650,000 before 25 July to over 1.4 million in mid‑August 2025, then settled around 900,000 — still significantly above pre‑law levels.
VPNs work by encrypting a user’s internet connection and routing it through a server in another location, making it appear as if the user is browsing from outside the UK — effectively bypassing region‑specific blocks or age checks. While not illegal, this pattern of behavior illustrates how technological tools can be used to avoid national regulatory schemes.
According to data collected during this period, downloads of top VPN apps spiked sharply following the online safety rules’ implementation, with some providers reporting hundreds of percent increases in sign‑ups and traffic originating from the UK.
Privacy, Regulation, and the VPN Paradox
The surge in VPN use highlights a core tension in modern internet policy: privacy tools designed for security can also be used to bypass regulations. While regulators aim to protect children and enforce content standards, users often seek privacy or convenience, even at the expense of compliance with age verification.
Internet safety advocates argue that while age verification may reduce direct access for some users, it could inadvertently push others toward anonymity tools like VPNs, which also shield users from monitoring and may conceal potentially harmful behavior. On the other hand, digital privacy proponents stress that VPNs provide essential protections against tracking, ISP logging, or surveillance beyond the age verification issue itself.
Notably, UK regulators such as Ofcom have clarified that using a VPN itself is not illegal under the Online Safety Act, but encouraging or actively promoting circumvention could attract scrutiny.
Comparisons and Broader Trends
The UK situation echoes patterns observed in other jurisdictions where age‑verification or censorship laws have prompted users to adopt VPNs in large numbers. For example:
After similar restrictions were introduced in parts of the US, significant VPN sign‑up spikes followed, as users sought to access geo‑restricted material.
Countries with strict censorship have long seen widespread VPN use, forcing regulators to consider more sophisticated detection tools or policies.
VPNs remain essential not only for bypassing age barriers but for securing internet connections, protecting data on public Wi‑Fi networks, and maintaining privacy in an increasingly monitored digital world.
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Conclusion
The UK’s Online Safety Act age verification regime has succeeded in reducing direct access to adult websites by millions of visitors, reflecting a strong regulatory push toward child protection and digital safety. However, the simultaneous surge in VPN use underscores a persistent challenge: when regulatory systems encounter technologically savvy users, tools like VPNs can and will be used to circumvent restrictions.
This dynamic illustrates a broader truth about internet governance — policy outcomes depend as much on human behavior and technological workarounds as on legal frameworks. As VPN usage continues to evolve in the UK and globally, policymakers will need to balance safety objectives with recognition of privacy tools’ legitimate roles — ensuring that efforts to protect do not inadvertently encourage avoidance strategies.
