The European Parliament is taking a decisive stand against the rise of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AI-CSAM), co-hosting a high-level briefing with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to address this urgent threat. With a 380% increase in AI-CSAM reports in 2024, the Parliament is pushing for robust legal reforms through the proposed Child Sexual Abuse Directive. Key priorities include criminalising all forms of AI-generated CSAM, removing legal loopholes such as the “personal use” exemption, and enhancing cross-border enforcement. The IWF and the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group (ECLAG) urge the Council of the EU to align with Parliament’s strong stance to protect children and support survivors. This article highlights the scale of the threat, the evolving technology behind synthetic abuse imagery, and the critical need for updated EU legislation.
IWF analysts use CAID and victim reports to verify teen abuse victims, helping remove illegal imagery that might otherwise be missed.
Home Secretary, The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, outlines the UK’s commitment to tackling online child sexual abuse and supporting the work of the IWF.
New Image Intercept tool offers smaller platforms free protection from criminal content, as teens face crisis of online sexual exploitation.
Internet Watch Foundation sees the most extreme year on record in 2023 Annual Report and calls for immediate action to protect very young children online.
Research report by PIER at Anglia Ruskin University, providing insight into girls and their parents' understanding of self-generated CSAM.
Alarming increase in online grooming and child sexual abuse imagery, particularly among under 10s, in 2023 as reported by the IWF.
Discover the latest trends & data in the fight against online child sexual abuse imagery in the 2023 Annual Report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
EU countries urged to have ‘courage’ and push for better laws to protect children at IWF’s annual report launch in Brussels