Overview

• Ofcom-approved age checks went live on July 25, and Similarweb data show Pornhub’s UK visits fell about 47% in two weeks to roughly 2.0 million a day, sliding further to about 1.8 million by August 18.
• Downloads of VPN apps jumped after enforcement began, with providers such as NordVPN and Proton reporting tenfold increases and their apps topping UK download charts.
• The children’s commissioner urged ministers to require VPN providers to run age assurance to stop under-18s bypassing site-level checks, calling it a loophole that needs closing.
• The government says VPNs remain legal and will not be banned, warning of tough enforcement if platforms push workarounds to children as Ofcom investigates four companies behind 30-plus porn sites.
• A May survey of 1,010 people aged 16–21 found 70% had seen pornography before 18 and 59% encountered it by accident, with X the most common source and many recalling violent content such as strangulation.