The Queen used her speech at the state opening of Parliament to reaffirm the Government's commitment to develop legislation to make the internet safer for children and "vulnerable" users.
The UK’s Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the USA’s National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) announce a landmark agreement to better protect children whose sexual abuse images are shared and traded on the internet.
Global cybersecurity company Heimdal has joined forces with the Internet Watch Foundation to tackle child sexual abuse imagery online and make the internet a safer space for users.
UK internet service provider Glide is aligning with the Internet Watch Foundation to help eliminate child sexual abuse material online
Explore how ICAP sites use pyramid-style schemes to distribute child sexual abuse material, increasing public exposure and aiding criminal profits.
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.