AI-generated child sexual abuse videos have surged 400% in 2025, with experts warning of increasingly realistic, extreme content and the urgent need for regulation to prevent full-length synthetic abuse films.
Dutch MEP Jeroen Lenaers visits the IWF offices in Cambridge, UK, to hear directly from frontline experts about the harms of AI in the fight against online child sexual abuse.
AI imagery getting more ‘extreme’ as IWF welcomes new rules allowing thorough testing of AI tools
Record levels of dangerous AI‑generated child sexual abuse imagery were found by the IWF in 2025, with a dramatic rise in severe content. New polling shows 82% of UK adults want government action to ensure AI systems are safe by design.
From 3 April, the EU will become the only region worldwide without legal certainty allowing technology companies to detect child sexual abuse material online, prompting urgent warnings from child protection experts and global tech organisations. A coalition of 246 civil society groups and major industry players has condemned lawmakers for failing to extend the temporary legal framework that permitted privacy‑preserving detection tools, leaving companies unsure whether safeguarding systems remain lawful. With the EU already hosting the highest concentration of known child sexual abuse material - 62% of confirmed webpages in 2024 - experts warn the situation will worsen, reducing detections, hampering investigations, and emboldening offenders. As the EU’s proposed permanent legislation remains deadlocked, industry leaders and protection advocates stress that immediate action is essential to prevent increased harm to children across Europe and beyond.
Campaigners are warning teenagers and their parents about online grooming and sexual exploitation as schools break up for the summer.
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).
Explore trends in child-led reporting in our 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report. We analyse how young people access support and report illegal content online.
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).
The Internet Watch Foundation is pleased to be among the winners of the Digital Communication Awards 2021.