UK VPN USAGE DOUBLES AFTER PORN AGE CHECKS

The spike represents an 83% increase from the 1.2 million VPN users recorded before the age-gating requirements took effect. Ofcom's findings suggest the regulations designed to protect minors from adult content are prompting users—including children—to adopt privacy tools to bypass the checks. The Online Safety Bill's implementation of mandatory age verification on pornography sites has become a focal point in the debate over digital regulation. Supporters argue the measures protect minors, while critics contend they drive users toward less regulated alternatives and raise privacy concerns. Ofcom's discovery that children are actively using VPNs to evade the safeguards highlights the challenge regulators face in balancing protection with enforcement. The report underscores broader questions about whether age verification systems effectively deter underage access or simply shift user behavior online.