The UK is facing a disturbing rise in porn exposure among children, as shocking new figures reveal that the majority of young people are first encountering explicit content online before they even turn 18.
According to the latest survey, published in on Tuesday, 19 August, around 70% of those aged 16 to 21 admitted they had viewed porn before adulthood. That number has surged from 64% just two years earlier, showing how quickly access to porn has escalated.
Even more worrying, more than a quarter of respondents revealed they were exposed to pornographic content by age 11, with some reporting they had seen porn at just six years old.
Most of these children said they had not been actively looking for such material – nearly 60% claimed they stumbled across porn accidentally while browsing online.
Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), have been identified as major sources of porn for children, where violent, degrading, and sometimes illegal content is easily available.
Dame Rachel de Souza: Children at 'Rock Bottom'
England's Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, warned that children's online safety had reached crisis levels. Releasing the findings just weeks after the Online Safety Act came into force in July 2025, she described the situation as 'rock bottom' and said it marked a 'line in the sand'.
Speaking to the BBC, Dame Rachel said harmful algorithms are pushing porn directly to young users, causing long-term damage to attitudes and behaviours. She highlighted links between exposure to violent porn and increased risks of sexual aggression and violence against women and girls.
'No child should be able to access or watch pornography. That is not an ideal – it is the bare minimum we should expect,' she said.
VPNs Allowing Children to Bypass Restrictions
One of the biggest loopholes driving porn exposure among children is the use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). These tools mask user locations and let underage users bypass age verification systems that are supposed to block access to porn sites.
On BBC Newsnight, Dame Rachel warned: 'Of course, we need age verification on VPNs – it's absolutely a loophole that needs closing and that's one of my major recommendations.'
Her report calls for government ministers to act quickly by requiring VPN providers to introduce strict age checks. Without closing this loophole, she argued, children will continue to have easy access to porn regardless of new safety laws.
Government Response
While Dame Rachel is calling for urgent reforms, the UK government has stopped short of considering a full VPN ban. According to The Guardian, officials say VPNs are legal tools for adults and there are no plans to outlaw them.
A government spokesperson said: 'VPNs are legal tools for adults and there are no plans to ban them.' However, platforms or companies that encourage children to use VPNs to get around age restrictions could face 'tough enforcement and heavy fines'.
Ministers insist that protecting children must come before corporate interests, promising strong penalties for firms that fail to comply with safety rules.
Online Safety Act: Just the Beginning
The Online Safety Act, introduced in July 2025, was intended to tighten regulation of harmful online content. But despite new age verification rules, the law has yet to significantly reduce children's access to porn.
Accidental exposure remains widespread, while VPN use has made it easy for underage users to skirt restrictions. Dame Rachel stressed that the Act provides only a baseline for children's protection.
'The new protections introduced in July by Ofcom, part of the Online Safety Act, provide a real opportunity to make children's safety online a non-negotiable priority for everyone,' she said.
She urged the government to strengthen platform design rules, increase penalties for non-compliance, and prioritise enforcement.
Her warning makes clear that without urgent action, the UK risks raising a generation growing up with porn as a normalised part of childhood.
