Recent UK research conducted by Ofcom—the communications regulator—reveals that 8% of children aged eight to 14 visited an online pornography site or app within a 28-day period. Within this group, about 3% of the youngest children (those aged 8–9) had accessed such material. The study tracked the use of websites and apps by children across smartphones, tablets, and computers over a month.
The findings highlight significant gender differences: boys aged 13–14 were most likely to visit a porn service (19%), compared to girls of the same age (11%). With older teenagers also likely accessing pornography, the total number of under-18s exposed to adult content is expected to be even higher.
These statistics have prompted regulatory action. Under the Online Safety Act, major pornography sites—including Pornhub and others—are required to implement “highly effective” age verification or age estimation measures by July 25, 2025. These methods may include credit card checks, open banking, or facial age estimation. The goal is to bring pornography online in line with protections for other adult services in the real world, ensuring children are not normally able to access explicit material.
The research underscores the urgency of protecting children from harmful online content and the need for robust safeguards to prevent underage access to pornography. Non-compliance with these new rules may result in significant fines or court orders to block access to offending sites in the UK.
