The aim of the Hackathon is to help pioneer new solutions to lead the world in the fightback against the spread of child sexual abuse material on the internet.
Tamsin McNally, Hotline Manager at the IWF, appeared live on National BBC Breakfast news to warn about the increasing prevalence of “sextortion” online.
More children than ever are becoming victim of online sexual abuse, with technology offering abusers more access to them than ever.
The IWF partners with ICMEC to launch portal that allows anyone, anywhere to report child sexual abuse material online.
UK business websites targeted to host child sexual abuse images and videos.
This new campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the gradual increase of child sexual abuse material and how it can be reported by the public in target countries.
On 3 April, essential child protection systems used by technology companies to detect and remove online child sexual abuse material will become illegal to operate in the EU unless the European Parliament votes to extend the current legal framework. A temporary law allowing voluntary detection is expiring, and political deadlock has stalled a permanent solution. This will create a dangerous legal vacuum that perpetrators are aware of and poised to exploit. Proven tools like hash‑matching - which do not compromise privacy - would be forced offline, enabling millions of known abusive images to resurface. Research shows these systems deter offenders and make access harder; disabling them will reverse this progress. MEPs have one final chance to act by voting for an amendment that preserves protections for children across Europe.
The Government must now act on the Committee’s recommendations to make sure this legislation brings in the strong and effective safeguards we need to keep children safe online.
The ‘shocking’ images of children can involve penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal, and sadism.
The Internet Watch Foundation has welcomed moves to help protect children online.
Our 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report analyses the rise of sexually coerced extortion. Explore the latest trends and data on this persistent online harm.