Third of adults in NI watch online porn, reports Ofcom

Adults in Northern Ireland access online pornography more frequently than anywhere else in the UK, Ofcom’s Online Nation 2024 report reveals.

In May 2024, over 430,000 Northern Irish adults—more than a third of the population—visited “pornographic content services.” This exceeds figures for England, Scotland, and Wales.

The report highlights the region’s high online activity, with adults spending an average of 4 hours and 16 minutes daily on the internet, mainly via smartphones.

Whilst platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon dominated usage, while the BBC was the most popular news service, reaching 86% of Northern Irish adults, Ofcom noted increasing exposure to online harm.

Two thirds of over 13’s in Northern Ireland have reported issues like scams, trolling, or hateful content.

Teenage girls faced heightened risks, including requests for explicit photos and exposure to harmful content.

"These findings underline the ongoing challenge of keeping the internet safe for all users," the report states.