UK "Age Verification" Law a "Site Compliance Killer"? ── Unverified Sites See Traffic Surge, While Compliant Sites Decline

The age verification rules of the Online Safety Act, fully implemented in the UK since late July, are reshaping the web traffic landscape. Sites that have implemented age verification are seeing a drop in visits from the UK, while traffic to unverified porn sites is surging. This "unintended consequence" has been highlighted by analyses from major media outlets.TechCrunchThe Washington Post

What Happened: Data Shows "Reverse Flow"

TechCrunch, citing analysis from The Washington Post, reports that out of the top 90 porn sites in the UK, 14 sites have not implemented age verification. These unverified sites have seen UK user traffic double year-on-year, while those that implemented verification experienced a sharp decline in access.TechCrunchThe Washington Post

The keywords explaining this "reverse flow" are "effort" and "psychology." Users resistant to uploading IDs or facial scans quickly migrate to alternative sites without verification. While the regulation aims to protect minors, the departure of adults has become more visible. Citizen Lab's John Scott-Railton described it as a "textbook case of unintended consequences," noting that compliant sites are being stifled while **unverified sites are relatively "rewarded."**The Washington Post

Implementation on the Ground: Loose Nets and High Risks

Regulator Ofcom has announced multiple investigations, but only a few of the 14 unverified sites identified by the Post have been named. While severe violations could lead to ad blocking or requests to ISPs for effective disconnection, the focus is currently on prioritizing enforcement using specific criteria.The Washington Post

Meanwhile, VPN usage is surging, expanding "loopholes." Ironically, after a government official mentioned the dangers of VPNs on television, VPN apps shot to the top of app store rankings.The Washington Post

Impact Beyond Porn: "Age Gating" Across Platforms

The age verification requirement is not limited to porn. Social networks and communities are also required to design and operate to prevent children's exposure to harmful content, with Reddit and Bluesky introducing some age verification for UK users. In the gaming sector, Steam has reportedly started requiring credit card registration for adult content from UK users.The Washington PostRedditPC Gamer

Cost and Side Effects: Heavier "Burden Tax" on Smaller Sites

Implementing age estimation or ID verification involves payments to external vendors, with estimates circulating around 10 to 25 cents per face scan. For small forums and fan club sites, the fixed costs of implementation and operation are heavy, leading some to choose to block access from the UK.The Washington Post

Global Ripples: "State Law Domino" and Reversal in the US

In the US, since 2022, 25 states have enacted age verification laws for adult sites, with the Supreme Court upholding a Texas law, and Mississippi's stringent law moving towards de facto implementation. The decentralized social network Bluesky has chosen to block access entirely in Mississippi, citing the costs of compliance and privacy concerns as reasons for withdrawal.The Washington PostTechCrunchWIRED

Social Media Reactions: Distrust in Privacy and "Inconvenience of Life"

• The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) criticized the rollout of age verification on UK Reddit as a "nightmare for online privacy, safety, and expression" on Mastodon. In a detailed blog post, they argued that the loss of anonymity and excessive data collection disadvantage vulnerable groups.Mastodon hosted on mastodon.socialElectronic Frontier Foundation

• The Open Rights Group declared on X and in blogs that the UK's age verification has **"failed", warning that facial scans and ID submissions are becoming a de facto **norm**.Open Rights Group+1

• On Reddit's r/privacy, cynical comments like "there's no such thing as safe and reliable online age verification" and "the industry is full of leaks" are prominent. Posts criticizing the dispersal of leak risks to amateurs are also notable.Reddit

• Researcher Scott-Railton tweeted on X that the "long-term consequences are negative and unintended." He expressed concern that the structure where compliant sites suffer could lead to further underground activity rather than improvement.X (formerly Twitter)

Yet "Protecting Children" Remains Justified—Where is the Solution?

Proponents emphasize the need to stop "self-declaration with a click" and establish effective guardrails. However, facial recognition and ID scans have significant side effects of spreading large amounts of sensitive data across the web. While there is a proposal to assign the role to app store-wide age management, it is not a panacea. The debate remains a standoff between privacy, freedom of expression, and safety.AP News

Towards Better Design: Not Relying Solely on Age Verification

Public Knowledge argues that the "core issue harming children is 'functional design'." There are many modifications that can reduce harm without age checks, such as recommendation algorithms, default settings for DMs, and designs that encourage scrolling addiction. The UK has also codified design-based prevention of harmful contact (such as blocking DMs from strangers), suggesting that a route combining "design safety" and "age verification" is closer to a practical solution.combinedPublic KnowledgeGOV.UK

Conclusion: Regulations are Judged by "Results"

The banner of "protecting children" remains unwavering. However, the current situation in the UK is creating a perverse incentive where compliant sites lose and non-compliant sites gain, thereby boosting the VPN market and anonymous sites. What is needed is a comprehensive package that includes effective enforcement (swift penalties for unverified sites) and privacy minimization and design improvements. Laws are judged not by ideals but by measurable outcomes. Unfortunately, the current KPIs are pointing in the wrong direction.The Washington Post