Research conducted among English children has revealed a rise in exposure to pornography following the implementation of UK regulations intended to safeguard them online, with six-year-olds encountering it inadvertently.
Dame Rachel de Souza reported that the findings indicated an uptick in the number of young people encountering pornographic content before turning 18, even after the Online Safety Law came into effect.
Over a quarter (27%) admitted to having viewed porn online by the age of 11.
These results build on a similar survey carried out by the Children’s Commissioner in 2023, highlighting minimal progress despite newly instituted laws and commitments from government officials and tech companies.
She stated: “Violent pornography is readily accessible to children, often encountered accidentally via popular social media platforms, and has a profound impact on their behaviors and views.
“This report should signal a clear turning point. The fresh protections introduced in July by Ofcom, part of the Online Safety Act, present a genuine opportunity to prioritize child safety unequivocally in the online space.”
The findings stem from a representative national survey conducted in May with 1,010 children and young people aged 16-21, just prior to the implementation of the OFCOM child code in July.
The regulations set forth by Ofcom have brought significant changes designed to restrict access to pornographic websites for those under 18. Utilizing the same methodology and questions as in the 2023 survey ensures consistency:
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A higher percentage of young people reported seeing porn before age 18 (70%) in 2025 compared to 2023 (64%).
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More than a quarter (27%) acknowledged viewing porn online at age 11, with the average age of first exposure remaining at 13.
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Vulnerable children, including those receiving free school lunches, children in social care, and those with special educational needs or disabilities, reported higher rates of exposure to online porn by age 11 compared to their peers.
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Nearly half of the respondents (44%) agreed with the statement: “Girls might say no at first, but then they could be persuaded to have sex.” Further analysis showed that 54% of girls and 41% of boys who had viewed porn online resonated with this sentiment, in contrast to 46% of girls and 30% of boys who hadn’t.
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A significant number of respondents indicated they encountered porn online accidentally rather than actively seeking it (35%). The rate of accidental exposure rose by 21 percentage points compared to 2023 (59% vs. 38%).
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Social networking and media platforms constituted 80% of the primary sources of porn access for children, with X (formerly Twitter) being the most common portal, surpassing dedicated porn sites.
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The disparity between the number of children viewing porn on X versus dedicated porn sites has widened (45% vs. 35% in 2025 compared to 41% vs. 37% in 2023).
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Most respondents reported witnessing portrayals of actions which are illegal under existing pornography legislation or could be deemed illegal under forthcoming crimes and police bills.
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Over half (58%) encountered pornographic content that depicted strangulation, with 44% observing sexual activity while individuals were asleep, and 36% witnessing instances where consent was not given or had been ignored.
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Further scrutiny revealed that only a minority of children expressed a desire for violent or extreme content, indicating it is being made available to them.
The report highlights concerns that, even under current regulations, children may circumvent restrictions by utilizing virtual private networks (VPNs), which remain legal in the UK.
The report advocates for online porn to adhere to the same standards as offline porn, prohibiting depictions of non-fatal violence. It also calls for the Ministry of Education to equip schools to effectively implement new curricula on relationships, health, and sex education.
Recently, it was announced that traffic to the UK’s leading porn sites has drastically decreased following the strengthening of age verification measures. According to data analytics firm Simarweb, the popular adult site Pornhub saw a decline of over 1 million visitors within just two weeks.
Pornhub and other major adult platforms initiated enhanced age verification checks on July 25 after acknowledging that online safety laws should complicate access to explicit materials for individuals under 18.
Simarweb compared the average daily user statistics of porn sites from August 1 to 9 against the average from July, revealing that Pornhub, the UK’s top adult content site, experienced a 47% dip in domestic traffic on July 24, the day before the new regulations came into effect.
A government spokesperson remarked, “Children are growing up immersed in a digital landscape bombarded with pornography and harmful content, which can have damaging effects on their lives. Online safety laws are addressing this issue.”
“To be clear: VPNs are legitimate tools for adults, and there are no intentions to ban them. However, platforms promoting loopholes like VPNs to children could face stringent enforcement and hefty fines. We mustn’t prioritize business interests over child safety.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
