Britain Leads the Way in Online Porn

LONDON — Adult webmasters take note: The fastest-growing market for online porn is Great Britain, according to a Nielsen NetRatings study, which found that U.K.-based users employ the search term “porn” more than any other group in the English-speaking world.

According to the study, 40 percent of British men had visited porn sites within the last year, with an equal number having downloaded adult content within the past month. From a larger perspective, the study found, users in the island nation have increased from 2 million 6-years ago to 9 million today.

Not to be left out, viewership among British women saw a 30 percent spike, going from 1 million to 1.5 million in the past year. Women represent the fastest growing demographic group, according to the study.

The study also found that more than half of all children surveyed had looked at adult websites.

While more pornography is available to Britons online, the boom in adult viewership comes as part of an overall trend, according to the study, which found that national film censors had approved more hardcore films than 18-rated — the U.K. equivalent to R-rated — in the past few years.

While some in Britain found the increase in porn viewership to be an encouraging sign of the country’s sexual liberation, others were alarmed by the trend.

"I'm concerned that the boundaries are being pushed on what is acceptable,” Parliament Member Sandra Gidley, said. “Some of the hardcore stuff is quite shocking.”

Phillip Hodson of the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy worried that the prevalence of porn in the country could do damage to the nation’s couples.

"The Internet has made sex-lazy men even sex-lazier where they get lost in their own world," Hodson said. "It used to be said that men neglected foreplay, but now they are neglecting sex."

Counselors who treat couples for relationship problems have reported that as many as 40 percent of couples seeking help cite porn as a contributing factor to their difficulties.

According to the British press, the U.K. porn industry is worth approximately $1.6 billion.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

Show More