The Internet Watch Foundation is joining ECLAG coalition partners in a statement urging EU policymakers ‘to not fail children, victims and survivors and adopt ambitious measures to effectively protect children from sexual abuse and grooming.’
IWF signs open letter applauding LIBE Committee’s report and supports calls for amendments that will more concretely ensure child safety online.
IWF is a steering group member of the European Child Sexual Abuse Legislation Advocacy Group (ECLAG) working to end child sexual abuse both on and offline.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and more than 65 child rights organisations are urgently calling on EU leaders to get vital child sexual abuse legislation ‘back on track’ to making the internet a safer place for children, following a vote by the European Parliament votes that dramatically limits the scope of the regulation.
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.