Discover the latest trends & data in the fight against online child sexual abuse imagery in the 2023 Annual Report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
Explore how ICAP sites use pyramid-style schemes to distribute child sexual abuse material, increasing public exposure and aiding criminal profits.
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.
On 28 April 2025, the IWF hosted MPs, peers, and staffers in Parliament to discuss the urgent findings of our 2024 Annual Data & Insights Report.
New IWF data reveals a startling increase in ‘self-generated’ material where children have been tricked or groomed by predators.