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.
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?
IWF analysts uncover platform hosting chatbot “characters” designed to let users simulate sexual scenarios with child avatars.
UK internet service provider Glide is aligning with the Internet Watch Foundation to help eliminate child sexual abuse material online
Dan explains the vital role the proposal could have in preventing the widespread sexual abuse, rape, and sexual torture of child victims online.
Tech Secretary sees ‘heartbreaking’ scale of online child sexual abuse on IWF hotline visit as ‘transformational’ online safety rules come into effect
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.
The National Crime Agency estimates there to be between 550,000 and 850,000 people in the UK who pose varying forms of sexual risk to children.
The IWF Reporting Portal in Tunisia shows the importance of working with multiple partners to efficiently fight against child sexual abuse material.
The Internet Watch Foundation welcomes the Government’s commitment to ‘upgrade’ a database in a bid to tackle online child sexual abuse material.