Cambridgeshire mum Lillian* has one of the most unusual and, sometimes, harrowing jobs in the world.
Tamsin McNally, Hotline Manager at the IWF, appeared live on National BBC Breakfast news to warn about the increasing prevalence of “sextortion” online.
New Zealand’s largest telecommunications and digital services company, Spark, joins the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), to help keep the internet free from child sexual abuse content.
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.
Our 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report analyses the rise of sexually coerced extortion. Explore the latest trends and data on this persistent online harm.
Explore trends in child-led reporting in our 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report. We analyse how young people access support and report illegal content online.
UK internet service provider Glide is aligning with the Internet Watch Foundation to help eliminate child sexual abuse material online
New Internet Watch Foundation data reveals a sharp rise in commercial child sexual abuse websites, with criminal gangs monetising children’s exploitation through subscription models and digital payments. The charity warns of systemic failures across online platforms, financial services and encrypted technologies that allow abuse to flourish. As reports of sexual extortion surge, particularly targeting boys, the IWF calls for stronger regulation of payment systems, encryption safeguards and decisive government action to disrupt the online economy of child sexual exploitation.
The IWF's role regarding government legislation on the possession of non-photographic visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children.
IWF has been named Not for Profit of the Year at the British Data Awards 2022.
Information from IWF on how we handle the privacy of stakeholder data and information.
It is IWF policy to make every effort to protect our information assets from threats – whether they be internal or external, deliberate or accidental.