Three years ago, when Pinsent Masons set out to unite their communities to raise money for the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), no one could have predicted how far their idea would go or how many people would still be moving for the cause three years later.
IWF CEO Kerry Smith welcomes TikTok’s decision to prioritise child protection over end‑to‑end encryption.
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 IWF warns that the EU’s failure to extend the temporary derogation will force platforms to halt proactive detection of child sexual abuse, putting children at serious risk.
We've partnered with CHI to build capacity amongst international helpline staff to deal with online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Security Institute announces partnership with Internet Watch Foundation
IWF supports the Online Safety Act by helping adult sites detect, remove, and prevent child sexual abuse imagery online.
IWF reveals 2024 as the worst year for online child sexual abuse imagery urging the Prime Minister to strengthen the Online Safety Act and close critical loopholes.
Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online child sexual abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect
Our 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report analyses the rise of sexually coerced extortion. Explore the latest trends and data on this persistent online harm.