New Delhi, Sept. 1 -- The United Kingdom's new age-verification law, which requires thousands of websites to confirm users' ages through government IDs or face scans, appears to have backfired.

Adult sites that complied with the law saw a sharp decline in traffic, while those that ignored it saw an enormous surge in visitors. Some non-compliant platforms reportedly even doubled or tripled their audiences in August compared with the same time last year, according to a Washington Post analysis.

Federal and state lawmakers in the United States are considering pushing similar laws, not just for adult content, but also for social networks and video sites. Supporters, including US Senator Mike Lee, argue that restricting access to such sites ...