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.
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.
Discover how IWF collaborates globally to eradicate online child sexual abuse, focusing on innovation, partnerships and safeguarding efforts.
IWF CEO Kerry Smith calls for complete EU ban of AI abuse content at high-level meeting of global experts in Rome
The Internet Watch Foundation is pleased to be among the winners of the Digital Communication Awards 2021.
“Imagine your darkest moments exposed to an unknown number of people. Then imagine strangers watching your pain for sexual satisfaction. That’s what happens for some of the children whose abuse images we see online."
Tamsin McNally, Hotline Manager at the IWF, appeared live on National BBC Breakfast news to warn about the increasing prevalence of “sextortion” online.
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