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.
IWF analysts uncover platform hosting chatbot “characters” designed to let users simulate sexual scenarios with child avatars.
AI imagery getting more ‘extreme’ as IWF welcomes new rules allowing thorough testing of AI tools
Dutch MEP Jeroen Lenaers visits the IWF offices in Cambridge, UK, to hear directly from frontline experts about the harms of AI in the fight against online child sexual abuse.
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.
IWF CEO Kerry Smith calls for complete EU ban of AI abuse content at high-level meeting of global experts in Rome
Expert analysts have taken action against 200,000 websites containing child sexual abuse material
In conjunction with partners in the private and public sector, we regularly run campaigns aimed at raising awareness & prevention of child sexual abuse online.