New Head of Hotline role identified as ‘pivotal’ in the Internet Watch Foundation's mission to tackle child sexual abuse material online among growing threats such as AI generated imagery.
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.
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.
‘Vital’ child protection work sees top honour for IWF’s Susie Hargreaves - The NSPCC has made Ms Hargreaves an honorary member of the NSPCC council
We would not expect children to protect themselves from sexual abuse in schools, clubs or youth organisations so why would we adopt such an approach online?
Discover how IWF collaborates globally to eradicate online child sexual abuse, focusing on innovation, partnerships and safeguarding efforts.
A cyber-led sporting challenge reaches new heights: expanding impact in tear two. Pinsent Masons’ steadfast commitment has done more than just raise funds; it has put a spotlight on the critical work of the IWF.
New Internet Watch Foundation data reveals a sharp rise in commercial child sexual abuse websites, with criminal gangs monetising children’s exploitation through subscription models and digital payments. The charity warns of systemic failures across online platforms, financial services and encrypted technologies that allow abuse to flourish. As reports of sexual extortion surge, particularly targeting boys, the IWF calls for stronger regulation of payment systems, encryption safeguards and decisive government action to disrupt the online economy of child sexual exploitation.
Swedish behavioural detection company Tuteliq has joined the IWF as a Member, bringing technology that identifies grooming, coercion and exploitation by analysing how conversations evolve over time - spotting predatory patterns before a child is harmed, across text, voice, image and video in 27 languages. Tuteliq will incorporate the IWF's URL List and Image Hash List into its detection pipeline and draw on IWF research and policy expertise to keep pace with evolving threats, in a partnership both organisations say strengthens the multi-layered approach needed to stop children slipping through the gaps online.
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.
Information from IWF on how we handle the privacy of stakeholder data and information.
It is IWF policy to make every effort to protect our information assets from threats – whether they be internal or external, deliberate or accidental.