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.
Research report by PIER at Anglia Ruskin University, providing insight into girls and their parents' understanding of self-generated CSAM.
This report conducted in collaboration with the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER) highlights the gravity of self-generated child sexual abuse material.
‘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
Alarming increase in online grooming and child sexual abuse imagery, particularly among under 10s, in 2023 as reported by the IWF.
New IWF partnership strengthens Bluesky’s ability to tackle child sexual abuse imagery
Peer39, a leading provider of contextual intelligence for digital advertising, has joined forces with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to help disrupt and demonetise the spread of harmful content online.
Domain .ME, the registry for the .ME domain extension, has partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation to help put an end to child sexual abuse imagery online
DoubleVerify, a leader in digital advertising, has partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to proactively disrupt the spread of child sexual abuse material and make the internet safer for everyone.
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.
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.