Two in five porn viewers plan to use a virtual private network (VPN) to get around the UK government's forthcoming age checks, rather then verify their identity, according to a new report.
The survey of 25,000 viewers by xHamster, the UK's third-largest adult site by visits, found that only just over half (53%) are even aware that the regulations are due to come in next month.
Just over a third said they plan to comply with the new regulations, while a quarter said they will not comply, and 40% said they are not sure.
When asked how they planned to respond to the new restrictions, 40% said they will use a VPN to make it seem as if they are visiting the site from another country.
A small minority (4%) said they will use a borrowed passcode to access porn sites, while 18% said they will give up online porn altogether.
Of those who are willing to verify their identity, 13.4% said they will use a driving license, 13.2% a credit card, 12.1% a mobile phone, 4.73% a passport and 2.3% an ID card.
Around one in 14 (7.2%) plans to use a kiosk card – also known as a "porn pass" – which can be purchased from a kiosk or small shop and allows the user to browse porn sites anonymously.
Overall xHamster said that compliance with the regulations is much more popular with older users, than it is with the 18+ age group. Older people were also more likely to believe the regulations could be effective.
Respondents under 34 were significantly more likely to have concerns about nearly every aspect, and were twice as likely as older users to be concerned about added cost, and the possible restriction of other content, such as social media.
The biggest issue faced was privacy concerns over data. Nearly 75% of respondents identified it as a major concern, with the fear of government intrusion following at 63%.
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"We support efforts to limit access to adult material by under 18s, and we will be complying with the UK regulations,” said Alex Hawkins, Vice President of xHamster.
"However, the data seems to show that a vast majority of porn users will abandon the UK regulations, either by leaving UK internet space, or by abandoning online content altogether.
"Such a 'Sexit' of nearly 60% of current adult content consumers has major implications, not just for adult sites, but for the BBFC which has designed the regulations."
The UK's porn block is due to come into effect in April, forcing Brits who watch porn online to prove their age before accessing sites like PornHub and YouPorn.
The new measures are a result of the Digital Economy Act 2017 , and are designed to prevent children from seeing content that isn't appropriate for them.
Under the terms of the Act, all online commercial pornography services accessible from the UK are required to carry age-verification controls.
Any porn site that fails to comply with the news rules faces a fine of up to £250,000, or a blanket block by UK internet service providers.
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