Learn how we collect and analyse data for the 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report. Explore our rigorous methodology for identifying online child sexual abuse.
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.
The latest data from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reveals a record rise in UK children reporting online sexual extortion, with the Report Remove service now handling an average of nine cases a week. In 2025, the helpline saw a 66% increase in self-reports from under‑18s, confirming 1,175 cases involving harmful imagery — more than a third linked to sexually coerced extortion. Criminals are increasingly exploiting young people’s nude imagery to demand money, further content, or compliance, often using aggressive threats and personal information to create fear and control. Report Remove, run by the IWF in partnership with Childline, allows young people to block or remove nude images of themselves from the internet — even before they are shared. The majority of sextortion cases involved boys aged 14–17, highlighting a growing trend in targeted online abuse. Childline counsellors continue to support children facing blackmail, fear, and isolation. The service remains free, confidential, and available to any young person worried about their imagery being shared online.
On 28 April 2025, the IWF hosted MPs, peers, and staffers in Parliament to discuss the urgent findings of our 2024 Annual Data & Insights Report.
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).
Alarming increase in online grooming and child sexual abuse imagery, particularly among under 10s, in 2023 as reported by the IWF.
DoubleVerify, a leader in digital advertising, has partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to proactively disrupt the spread of child sexual abuse material and make the internet safer for everyone.
EU countries urged to have ‘courage’ and push for better laws to protect children at IWF’s annual report launch in Brussels
Discover the latest data and insights in the fight against online child sexual abuse imagery in the 2025 Annual data & insights report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
Research report by PIER at Anglia Ruskin University, providing insight into girls and their parents' understanding of self-generated CSAM.
Crucial perspectives from a survivor and a senior analyst at the front line of the fight against child sexual abuse material anchored the EU launch of the Internet Watch Foundation’s 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report.