Porn sites have seen a drop in UK-based traffic since age checks became mandatory earlier this year, but the use of software to bypass viewing restrictions has surged.

Communications watchdog Ofcom noted 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, according to its annual Online Nation report.

Pornhub , which remains 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.

Adult sites in the UK were forced to implement age assurance as part of the Online Safety Act in a measure that government officials and the

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