The UK’s communications and data regulators have issued a joint demand for immediate action from the world’s largest social media platforms, as new figures reveal a near 10% annual rise in crimes involving child sexual abuse imagery.
Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have written to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and others, giving them until the end of this month to set out precisely how they are strengthening age checks and protecting children from grooming. The ICO has previously levied fines, including against Reddit and MediaLab, for failures in age-assurance measures.
An ‘Alarming’ Year-on-Year Rise
Data obtained by the NSPCC reveals the scale of the challenge. Police forces across the UK recorded 36,829 offences related to indecent and prohibited images of children in the year to 31 March 2025, a rise of 9% from the 33,886 recorded the previous year. The figures, gathered via Freedom of Information requests from 42 of the UK’s 45 police forces, continue a long-term trend; such offences have risen by 79% since 2017-18.
The charity warns that the true scale is likely obscured, as end-to-end encryption on some platforms can hide the abuse children are experiencing. Where police did record the platform used by perpetrators—in 10,811 cases—Snapchat was implicated in 43% of offences. Meta platforms accounted for almost a quarter (24%), comprising 8% on Instagram, 7% on WhatsApp, 5% on Facebook and 4% on Messenger.
Calls for Mandatory ‘On-Device’ Blocking
In response, child safety organisations are urging the government to mandate specific technological solutions. The NSPCC is calling for “device-level protections” to be embedded by default on children’s phones, which would block nude images from being created, shared, or viewed. The charity argues this stops abuse at source, as an image that is never created or sent cannot be encrypted and circulated.
“Children across the UK are being completely failed by tech companies that should be protecting them online,” said NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood. “Technology already exists that could be deployed today… So, the real question is: what’s stopping them?”
This call was echoed by Kerry Smith, chief executive of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), who stated mandatory on-device protections are needed to shield children from unsolicited imagery and coercion.
Government Strategy and Legislative Action
The government has stated its aim is to “make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view a nude image”, a goal set out in its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy published last December. Ministers say they are “working constructively with companies” to achieve this.
Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips described the NSPCC data as “nothing short of deeply shocking”, adding: “Predators cannot continue like this – unstopped and unchecked. We plan to stop them.”
Legislative action is already underway. The government is fast-tracking a ban on so-called ‘nudification’ apps through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which would criminalise the creation and supply of AI tools used to generate fake nude images.
This comes under the broader framework of the Online Safety Act 2023, now in force, which requires platforms to implement age verification checks and imposes hefty fines for non-compliance. New powers also compel tech companies to remove intimate images shared without consent within 48 hours of being reported.
Tech Company Measures Under Scrutiny
The platforms named in the data highlight their existing safety features. Snapchat, which has a minimum age of 13, offers a “Family Center” for parental monitoring and uses a strike system against violating accounts. Meta has introduced “Teen Accounts” with enhanced safety settings in direct messages.
However, regulators and researchers point to significant gaps. Ofcom research indicates that 72% of children aged 8-12 access sites and apps prohibited for their age, undermining minimum age policies that often rely on easily bypassed self-declaration. The ICO and Ofcom are pushing for more robust methods, like facial age estimation.
Internal company practices have also faced criticism. Meta has been accused of downplaying risks to children, with allegations it suppressed internal youth safety research. A former head of safety at the company testified about a high threshold for removing accounts involved in sex trafficking.
The Growing Threat of AI-Generated Abuse
Compounding the problem of traditionally produced abuse imagery is the explosive emergence of AI-generated content. The IWF reported a staggering increase in AI-generated child sexual abuse videos in 2025, finding 3,440 compared to just 13 the previous year. Disturbingly, 65% of these AI videos were classified as Category A, the most severe legal classification.
The IWF has warned that without urgent action, AI tools risk becoming “child sexual abuse machines”, highlighting the critical need for the upcoming ban on nudification apps.
The latest data also sheds light on the nature of offences. In 2024, half of all child sexual abuse and exploitation crimes were committed by other children aged 10-17. Furthermore, online grooming crimes have risen significantly, with perpetrators frequently using mainstream platforms for initial contact before moving to encrypted messaging.
With regulatory deadlines looming and legislative tools being sharpened, pressure is mounting on technology firms to demonstrate that their protections are as innovative as the threats children now face online.
