Nearly half of Britons watch porn on unregulated sites since age verification crackdown, warns charity

Nearly 47 per cent of Brits said they had reduced the amount of pornography they watch since the age verification rules came into force

Nearly half of Britons have admitted to watching porn from unregulated websites since age verification checks became mandatory, as a charity has warned more users may fall down a pathway where they can access child sexual abuse material.

New research from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation has revealed that nearly 45 per cent of UK porn users have visited sites without age verification checks since they came into force last summer as part of the Online Safety Act.

The poll of more than 3,700 Britons showed that 39 per cent of those who had visited those sites had watched content that made them uncomfortable and 40 per cent said that what they had seen put them off visiting the site altogether.

The charity, dedicated to preventing online child sexual abuse, warned that these sites may increase users’ exposure to harmful and illegal content.

Vicky Young, head of the charity’s Stop It Now UK and Ireland anonymous helpline for people concerned about child sexual abuse, told The Independent that these unregulated websites risked becoming a pathway to indecent images of children.

“We work with people who have looked at indecent images of children to try and address that behaviour, to help support them to change their behaviour,” she said.

“One of the things that people say to us frequently is that they started looking at legal adult pornography and that their behaviour escalated. In part they were spending maybe longer online, but also the sort of content that they were looking at became more extreme and often started getting younger, and that's when they then crossed into illegal behaviour, so looking at indecent images of children.

The charity warned that unregulated porn websites could become a pathway to illegal content (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Wire)

“Because of that pathway and that coming out constantly in conversations we have with people, it concerns us that if people are accessing sites where, there is this riskier content, that actually they are putting themselves at a higher chance of accessing indecent images.

“Sometimes that might not be intentional in the beginning, but what people tell us is that actually, if they come across those images as part of their other pornography, that then sparks curiosity. There's something that kind of adds to the excitement around the risk, and, they don't necessarily stop at one image. They actually then start looking for more images.”

Nearly a third (30 per cent) of those surveyed said they were concerned about how much pornography they use - this was highest among young men aged 18 to 24 (51 per cent), which the Foundation has warned is an at-risk group.

Nearly 47 per cent of survey respondents said they had reduced the amount of pornography they watch since the age verification rules came into force, and more than half (55 per cent) said it has made them think about their porn use.

It follows a report from communications watchdog Ofcom last month which showed a sharp and immediate fall in visits to popular online porn sites from 25 July, when the enforcement of highly effective age assurance (HEAA) came in. But the use of VPN (virtual private network) software, which can bypass viewing restrictions, surged.

Pornhub, the most visited adult content provider in the UK, saw a 1.5 million viewer drop in year-on-year figures when the regulator compared the 11.3 million viewers from August 2024 to the 9.8 million in the same month this year.

Meanwhile, VPN usage more than doubled in the UK following the age verification mandate, rising from about 650,000 daily users before 25 July and peaking at over 1.4 million in mid-August 2025. The figure has gradually declined to around 900,000 in November.

Porn providers have seen a fall in visits to their websites from UK visitors - but VPN usage as surged, indication more people are trying to bypass viewing restrictions (Getty)

Dr Alexandra Bailey, head of psychology at the Foundation and associate professor at the University of Roehampton, said: “Age verification is vital to protect children, and we fully support it. But we also need to recognise that some adults are choosing riskier sites to avoid age checks. These sites can expose people to harmful material, including illegal content depicting child sexual abuse. Even if you’re not looking for it, you could encounter it - and that can have serious life-changing consequences.”

“Age verification is also prompting adults to reflect on their online behaviour, which can be a good thing for people worried about their porn use. But we need to address the risks for those who are turning to sites that avoid the new regulations.

“Every day, our advisors speak to people whose pornography use has spiralled into something much more harmful. We know embarrassment can stop people from reaching out, but confidential help is available. If you’re worried about your own behaviour or someone else’s, contact Stop It Now before it’s too late.”

The Stop It Now helpline can be reached on 0808 1000 900 or via secure email and live chat at on the website.