Surge in use of ‘game-changing’ Report Remove service

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.

Hailed by one parent as a ‘game-changer’, the tool allows anyone under 18 in the UK to anonymously report sexual images and videos of themselves on the internet.

The surge in use also comes at a time when the ‘ruthless’ sexual extortion of children shows no sign of abating.

The new data from IWF show that 1,142 reports were submitted to Report Remove and assessed by analysts in 2024, a 44% increase on the year before.

Of these, the IWF – the UK’s hotline dedicated to finding and removing child sexual abuse imagery online – actioned 642 reports (56%) that contained criminal child sexual abuse content. This is also a rise when compared with 508 reports from 2023 (26%).

Reports ‘actioned’ by the IWF are confirmed as containing images and/or videos of child sexual abuse according to UK law. Children can report both webpages that contain their sexual image or the individual images and videos themselves via the Report Remove service. IWF analysts can then take steps to block and take down any criminal webpages and imagery.

A parent of a sexual extortion victim has told the IWF that being able to use the Report Remove service was a ‘game changer’ for his family. He said: “My 16-year-old son woke us up after midnight last year in a hysterical state, after being targeted online.

“Once we reassured him that he was not in trouble, we took steps to try and manage the situation and deal with it the best we could. One of these steps was to use the Report Remove tool and get his image uploaded so that the IWF could get it removed online. 

“This was a game-changer for us, in the difference that it made to how we felt. It gave us piece of mind that we had been able to do something to stop the blackmailers.”

The IWF reviews all submissions to Report Remove and works swiftly to ensure sexual images of children are removed.

Children using this tool can also talk to a Childline counsellor if they want any extra support, or access support on the Childline website.

Actioned reports of sexual imagery were highest among 14 to 15 year olds (48%) on Report Remove but analysts are also seeing imagery from a growing number of 11 to 13 year olds, with a 431% increase in reports compared with 2023. Children aged between 16 and 17 are the second largest group with 262 reports.

The IWF has also released ‘concerning’ sexual extortion figures that show predators continue to target children online for sexual imagery. 

IWF analysts actioned 175 instances of sexual extortion in 2024, most of which came via the Report Remove tool (86%). The remaining instances were found through proactive searching by the IWF Hotline.

The total figure remains virtually unchanged from 2023. The NCA issued an unprecedented alert that went out to all secondary schools in the UK in April 2024 to raise awareness of the crime.

There are also signs that the age of children reporting sexual extortion via Report Remove is getting younger, as analysts are seeing sexual extortion imagery from 11- to 13-year-olds for the first time.

In cases of sexual extortion, children are often tricked into believing they are engaging with a peer online and persuaded to share nude images and videos. Once the blackmailer has what they want, they swiftly turn nasty and threaten the child, warning that they will share the image widely unless the child provides more sexual images and videos or money. 

The impact on a child can be devastating. Often the offenders threaten to make it appear as if the child was a perpetrator of a crime, rather than a victim, which creates further harm and pressure.

IWF Interim Chief Executive Derek Ray-Hill said: “It is crystal clear that there has never been a greater need for the service that the Report Remove tool provides. 

“These concerning figures show that offenders continue to ruthlessly target our children online, knowing that they are vulnerable to coercion, exploitation and abuse.

“It is vital that children know that they are not at fault and are the victims of aggressive manipulators.

“With the support of the IWF and Childline, Report Remove can give children a sense of control as they take steps to have their imagery removed online.”

Shaun Friel, Director of Childline said: “Through our service, we hear directly from young people who have had abusive images of themselves shared online. Sadly, we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Last year police in England and Wales recorded more than 100 child sexual abuse image crimes on average every single day. 

“When an intimate image is shared online, it can be deeply traumatic for a young person and can have a detrimental impact on both their mental health and wellbeing. That’s why Report Remove plays such a crucial role in helping young people feel safe, making sure abusive images – whether real or fake – don’t spread on the internet. 

“It is so important young people know they don’t have to deal with this alone and they can rely on this tool if they are put in a harmful situation online, and we would encourage any child with concerns about this issue to contact Childline immediately.” 

Adults can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or via [email protected] and Childline is always confidentially available for children and young people on 0800 1111 or at childline.org.uk. 

Children who are being threatened online are given the following advice:

1. Report what has happened. You can do this by contacting your local police on 101 or making a report to the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Safety Centre, where a Child Protection Advisor will make sure you get the help you need. Always call 999 if you are in immediate danger.
2. If you’re not ready to make a report to the police or feel worried about what might happen, you can speak to understanding and non-judgemental people at Childline. You don’t need to give your name or details.
3. If you have copies of the images, videos, or links to the website where images or videos may be shown, you can use an online tool called Report Remove. Report Remove is here to help young people, under 18, in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and the IWF will then try to have them removed from the internet. Once you’ve used Report Remove, you will also be able to talk to a trained Childline counsellor, who will have provided support to other children and young people in the same situation.
4. Stop all contact with anyone who is trying to blackmail or threaten. Do not share any more images or videos or pay any money of any sort. If you have been communicating on an app, there should be in-built tools to block and report the user.
5. Finally, remember - this is not your fault. The person trying to blackmail or sexually extort you is the one who is in the wrong. Lots of other young people have been in a similar situation. If you're feeling upset and need to talk to someone, you can get in touch with Childline.