The IWF and NSPCC say tech platforms must do more to protect children online as confirmed sextortion cases soar.
The Internet Watch Foundation and the NSPCC have won an award that recognises the vital service that the Report Remove tool offers children in the UK.
Child protection analysts have seen a significant rise in reports from children accessing the world-leading Report Remove service run by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the NSPCC’s Childline service.
Childline and the IWF launch new tool to help young people remove nude images that have been shared online
IWF and NSPCC's Report Remove can support a young person in reporting sexual images shared online and enables them to get the image removed if it is illegal.
Charities warn threat of sexual extortion (or sextortion) against children ‘not diminishing’ as new data show sextortion cases soar 72% in a year.
Report Remove is a joint tool by IWF and Childline that helps young people report and remove intimate images shared online without consent.
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.
A list of where to report some of the other types of harmful content you may see online.