UK traffic to Pornhub plunges after age-verification law
After the UK introduced mandatory age verification, Pornhub reports a 77 % drop in UK visits, highlighting the impact of online regulation on user behaviour.
In response to the UK’s new age-verification law, Pornhub reports that visits from UK users have fallen by about 77 %.
The change comes following legislation designed to block under-18s from accessing adult sites via mandatory age checks.
The company states that it began enforcing the verification system early in October, noting that many users are now turned away or fail the checks.
According to Pornhub, this explains the significant decrease in traffic from the UK. The platform emphasised that this is a reflection of compliance rather than an admission of harm.
Critics argue that the law creates risks of overblocking and privacy concerns, as users may turn to less regulated or unsafe alternatives. This case also underscores tensions between content regulation, digital rights and the efficacy of age-gating as a tool.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!