Nearly half of Britons watch porn on unregulated websites since age verification crackdown, warns charity | EUROtoday

Nearly half of Britons have admitted to watching porn from unregulated web sites since age verification checks turned obligatory, as a charity has warned extra customers could fall down a pathway the place they will entry youngster sexual abuse materials.

New analysis from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation has revealed that almost 45 per cent of UK porn customers have visited websites with out age verification checks since they got here into pressure final summer season as a part of the Online Safety Act.

The ballot of greater than 3,700 Britons confirmed that 39 per cent of those that had visited these websites had watched content material that made them uncomfortable and 40 per cent stated that what that they had seen put them off visiting the location altogether.

The charity, devoted to stopping on-line youngster sexual abuse, warned that these websites could improve customers’ publicity to dangerous and unlawful content material.

Vicky Young, head of the charity’s Stop It Now UK and Ireland nameless helpline for folks involved about youngster sexual abuse, instructed The Independent that these unregulated web sites risked changing into a pathway to indecent photographs of kids.

“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 stated.

“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.

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“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 3rd (30 per cent) of these surveyed stated they had been involved about how a lot pornography they use – this was highest amongst younger males aged 18 to 24 (51 per cent), which the Foundation has warned is an at-risk group.

Nearly 47 per cent of survey respondents stated that they had decreased the quantity of pornography they watch for the reason that age verification guidelines got here into pressure, and greater than half (55 per cent) stated it has made them take into consideration their porn use.

It follows a report from communications watchdog Ofcom final month which confirmed a pointy and instant fall in visits to standard on-line porn websites from 25 July, when the enforcement of extremely efficient age assurance (HEAA) got here in. But the usage of VPN (digital personal community) software program, which may bypass viewing restrictions, surged.

Pornhub, essentially the most visited grownup content material supplier within the UK, noticed a 1.5 million viewer drop in year-on-year figures when the regulator in contrast the 11.3 million viewers from August 2024 to the 9.8 million in the identical month this 12 months.

Meanwhile, VPN utilization greater than doubled within the UK following the age verification mandate, rising from about 650,000 day by day customers earlier than 25 July and peaking at over 1.4 million in mid-August 2025. The determine has steadily declined to round 900,000 in November.

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Dr Alexandra Bailey, head of psychology on the Foundation and affiliate professor on the University of Roehampton, stated: “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 will be reached on 0808 1000 900 or through safe electronic mail and reside chat at on the web site.