The IWF, the UK body responsible for finding and removing child sexual abuse images and videos from the internet, will often discover this type of imagery when it is being shared on the open web.
“Think Before You Share” aims to start a conversation about these issues and give young people, as well as the trusted adults in their lives, the tools and resources they need to help keep themselves safe.
Since the campaign launched in 2024, the IWF has continued to see images and videos of child sexual abuse proliferate online.
In total in 2025, the IWF took action against 312,038 webpages where analysts confirmed the presence of child sexual abuse imagery.
This is a record-breaking total and marks a 7% increase on the 291,733 webpages the IWF confirmed the year before.
Natalie Dormer said: “With this campaign, I want young people to know that if something goes wrong online, it is not their fault. Shame and blame only make these situations harder, and they stop people from asking for help.
“Young people are under enormous pressure, often without the tools or confidence to push back, or to know what to do when things escalate.
“What worries me most is how children and young people can be manipulated and once an image is shared, it can be the starting point for a huge amount of damage.
“That’s why the work being done by the IWF deeply matters. They are helping young people navigate a digital world that moves faster than any of us could have imagined, and offering real ability to remove images and real support when it’s needed most.”
Kerry Smith, Chief Executive of the IWF, said: “The pressure facing young people is immense, and the threats they are expected to navigate are real – and have scary consequences.
“I think many parents would be aghast to think their children had received unsolicited sexual imagery, or that they were being pressured into making this sort of material themselves.
“But what we see at the IWF tells us it doesn’t matter how imagery is created, it can very quickly get out of control. The people we see getting hold of these images and videos often only have the very worst intentions.
“It is essential these conversations begin in the home, with young people knowing there’s no judgment, and no shame. It can make all the difference stopping that spiral if they know they can talk about this. And, if the worst does happen, that they know there is help, and Report Remove is there to help them get control back.”
