Domain .ME, the registry for the .ME domain extension, has partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation to help put an end to child sexual abuse imagery online
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has revealed it believes there are a minimum 300,000 individuals in the UK posing a sexual threat to children, either through physical “contact” abuse or online.
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.
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.
Europe remains the world’s largest hoster of child sexual abuse imagery with 62% of known images and videos being traced to a European Union country* in 2021.
We have a powerful sense of mission, with clarity, focus and purpose to our work. Our one single task – beyond all else – is the elimination of child sexual abuse material online.