IWF used to receive some funding from the European Union’s EU Safer Internet Programme. This is now provided by Nominet.
New data reveals AI child sexual abuse continues to spread online as criminals create more realistic, and more extreme, imagery.
EU countries urged to have ‘courage’ and push for better laws to protect children at IWF’s annual report launch in Brussels
The debate on the EU’s proposed Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR) has been dominated by one loud slogan. A slogan which may have dire consequences for the safety and wellbeing of millions of children worldwide.
The European Parliament is taking a decisive stand against the rise of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AI-CSAM), co-hosting a high-level briefing with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to address this urgent threat. With a 380% increase in AI-CSAM reports in 2024, the Parliament is pushing for robust legal reforms through the proposed Child Sexual Abuse Directive. Key priorities include criminalising all forms of AI-generated CSAM, removing legal loopholes such as the “personal use” exemption, and enhancing cross-border enforcement. The IWF and the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group (ECLAG) urge the Council of the EU to align with Parliament’s strong stance to protect children and support survivors. This article highlights the scale of the threat, the evolving technology behind synthetic abuse imagery, and the critical need for updated EU legislation.
The IWF’s latest AI report exposes rapidly escalating harms to children as the EU moves to scale back the tools that detect and remove child sexual abuse material online. The charity warns that the EU must act urgently to criminalise AI‑generated abuse and preserve essential detection systems before risks intensify further.
A new IWF report reveals record levels of AI‑generated child sexual abuse imagery and alarming insight into how offenders are exploiting emerging technologies. The charity is urging EU lawmakers to introduce a zero‑tolerance ban on AI‑generated abuse and the tools used to create it.
IWF CEO Kerry Smith calls for complete EU ban of AI abuse content at high-level meeting of global experts in Rome