UK Pornography Sites Experience Massive Traffic Decline Following Age Verification Requirements
Pornhub has lost over one million visitors in the UK in just two weeks, following the implementation of mandatory age verification measures that took effect on July 25, 2025, reports 24brussels.
Data from analytics firm Similarweb indicates that the popular adult website experienced a notable 47 percent decrease in UK traffic from July 24 to August 8. The statistics mirror a similar trend seen on other sites; XVideos also recorded a 47 percent drop during this period, while OnlyFans witnessed a 10 percent reduction in UK visitors.
Despite the intended efficacy of age verification systems, many users have found them easy to circumvent with virtual private networks (VPNs), which obscure users’ locations via overseas IP addresses. Proton VPN reported an astonishing 1,800 percent increase in daily registrations from UK-based users shortly after the new regulations took effect, highlighting that three of the top ten iOS applications in the UK are currently VPN services.
The implementation of these age-gating regulations points to a growing landscape of challenges surrounding online safety and user access within the adult content industry. With the fluctuation in visitor numbers, the long-term impact of these verification requirements on user behavior and website engagement remains uncertain as users adapt to new restrictions.
