Thirty years is a long time in the history of the internet. But this year the IWF marks this milestone event. From taking our first report – by telephone – in a small room in a Victorian town house, to this year opening our airy new office in the tech-heart of the UK’s Cambridge Science Park.
Throughout that time, we’ve been working to minimise the availability of online child sexual abuse content. While we have grown our impact and response in collaboration with others, the sad reality is that over the past 30 years, the scale and type of online child abuse and exploitation, and the material associated with it, has also been growing exponentially. In 2024, Childlight estimated that 300 million children had been affected by online child sexual abuse and exploitation, representing a colossal violation of the fundamental human rights of children and the adults they become.
This must change.
The impact of the abundance of child sexual abuse and exploitation online is significant, reoccurring and highly damaging for the victims, for children and young people more broadly, as well as for the online world as a whole. Not only does the repeated sharing of abuse revictimise, with many victims and survivors continuing to live in fear because of the actual or potential distribution of their abuse material, but the consumption of child sexual abuse material is known to encourage contact offending.
In this report you will see more of the evidence that we have gathered about this crime over the last year.
You will see that the vast majority of material still features girls, highlighting the highly gendered nature of online child abuse and exploitation. But you will also read about how teenagers of both sexes are increasingly being drawn into a cycle of sexual harm, exposing them to exploitation and sexual extortion online, which is leading to an increasing number of boys seeking the help of our reporting services.
We highlight the systemic conditions which enable the distribution of child sexual abuse content, from a small number of jurisdictions hosting a disproportionate share, to the adaptiveness and resilience of offenders navigating and exploiting persistent weaknesses, including end-to-end encrypted environments, across the internet’s layered architecture.
We also shine a light on the techniques used by those who would profit from the sale of child sexual abuse material, who embed criminal practices into the ecosystem, normalising the purchase and sustaining the demand.
The widespread accessibility of child sexual abuse and exploitation and other sexual abuse material online is normalising violence against children, and violence against girls, in particular.
This can change.
During the past months, we have spoken to a large number of people, from companies, governments, peer organisations and including private individuals - all of whom are determined, creative and clear about what steps can be taken to end the spread of child sexual abuse and exploitation online. We know what needs to be done today, and that together we have the means to respond to future threats.
Throughout this report we’ve included Frontline Observations – a deeper view of what our analysts see that the data might not bring to life, ensuring that we ground ourselves in the real, human side of tackling online child sexual abuse images and videos and in the things that work.
We are positive about the future.
Despite the challenges, we are at a turning point where most people using the internet want effective action to be taken to protect children online. So, while in this report, you will read about real threats to children, concerning trends, and will gain an insight into the techniques of the offenders, there are also solutions.
Those who profit from, and use, child abuse material online are resourceful and adaptive - but they can be stopped if we join together, share our resources and take the necessary steps across the system to stop them.
In 2026 we will publish our new ambitious strategy which will focus our efforts and resources on what we think will make the biggest impact on the mission, and the greatest difference to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
Join us as we launch our International Technical Hub in 2026 and be our partner in developing, testing and sharing evidence on what works.
Join us in preventing profiteering and the unfettered distribution of known child sexual abuse and exploitation in end-to-end encrypted environments.
Join us in driving adaptive and robust legislation that moves quickly to protect children.
Join us in giving children and survivors the tools they need to prevent their ongoing victimisation.
Please read this report, be moved, be inspired and reach out to make a difference.
