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Posts by Cat McShane

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Criminal gangs profiting as child sexual abuse websites double, experts say Analyst who worked on Internet Watch Foundation report says content exists ‘across all social media platforms’ and is ‘very easy’ to find

Criminals are "exploiting systemic failures" online and profiting from the sale of child sexual abuse images. @iwf.org.uk CEO Kerry Smith urges #E2EE services to adopt the trusted safety tools that prevent criminals using their platforms as safe havens. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

5 hours ago 1 0 0 0
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Sexual predators' new business model is spreading - and humans are needed to catch them Child sexual abuse is on the rise online and the predators behind it have a new business model that's hiding in plain sight.

Criminal websites selling child sexual abuse imagery online have doubled in a year. Some of them are hidden behind apparently innocent website fronts, others are just sitting in the open, just a few clicks away from your social media feeds.

Read more at news.sky.com/story/predat...

5 hours ago 4 5 0 0
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“Thanks to political gamesmanship, the EU has opened the door for predators to target children without fear.” Our CEO Kerry Smith, on what happens from this Friday, when tech companies lose the legal right to detect child sexual abuse material in the EU.

Read more at www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/n...

3 weeks ago 2 2 0 0
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AI fuels surge in child abuse content, new report finds AI-generated content is more explicit, extreme and complex than other types of child pornography that have been seen in the past, says the Internet Watch Foundation.

“Advances in technology should never come at the expense of a child’s safety and wellbeing,” said @iwf.org.uk CEO Kerry Smith, who called for an EU-wide ban on both AI-generated child sexual abuse content and the tools used to create it. www.euronews.com/next/2026/03...

4 weeks ago 1 0 0 0
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KI-Videos von Kindesmissbrauch nehmen laut Internet Watch Foundation zu Im Internet finden sich laut einer Erhebung zunehmend KI-generierte Missbrauchsdarstellungen. Der Fortschritt der Technik erleichtert es Pädokriminellen, sogenannte Kinderpornografie zu erstellen.

Analysts at the @iwf.org.uk have identified more AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse than ever before. This fuels offender interest in children, normalises extreme violence, and increases the risk of contact crimes. www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/net...

4 weeks ago 0 2 0 0
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AI-generated child sexual abuse: why safety by design must be the next step We’re calling for an AI Bill that includes key measures to ensure safety-by-design becomes a non-negotiable standard in AI development.

Governments, tech companies and institutions must recognise the harm of AI child sexual abuse material. We’re calling for an AI Bill that includes key measures to ensure safety-by-design becomes a non-negotiable.

Read the latest blog from our Comms Director Emma. www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/b...

4 weeks ago 1 3 1 0
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EU Risks Child Safety as Detection Laws Expire on 3 April EU child protection systems may become illegal on 3 April unless MEPs act to extend vital detection laws.

🚨 URGENT: The clock is ticking on child safety in the EU.

On 3 April, the systems that protect children from online sexual abuse are set to become illegal across the EU.

As our CTO Dan explains, the consequences of this legislative deadlock will be catastrophic. www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/b...

4 weeks ago 1 3 0 0
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Child abuse victim found after researcher spotted school badge An analyst tells the BBC how she tracked down a victim of child sexual abuse after years of searching.

A girl who appeared in hundreds of child sexual abuse images and videos has been tracked down after years of searching, by one of our world-class analysts.

"It was wonderful to hear she is now being given help," said Mabel, the analyst who identified the girl. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1 month ago 3 5 0 0
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EU failure on temporary derogation puts children at risk The IWF warns that the EU’s failure to extend the temporary derogation will force platforms to halt proactive detection of child sexual abuse, putting children at serious risk.

EU’s failure to extend the temporary derogation under ePrivacy puts fundamental safeguards against the spread of abuse imagery in jeopardy.

Negotiators @europarl.europa.eu must return to the table. Children cannot afford the price of the failure to protect them.

www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/s...

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“Offenders will exploit feelings of shame & guilt to keep children from speaking out," tells BBC Crimewatch our Head of Hotline Ngaire Alexander. “Best way to keep children safe online: building trusted relationships, having clear lines of communication.” 📺from 20:10

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

1 month ago 1 2 0 0
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Police arrest record number of paedophiles as 81k seek help in London Forces say society’s misconceptions around offenders contributes to failure of some 1,200 safeguarded children each month

“These disturbing findings shine a light on a problem which we must all, as a society, urgently confront. The internet has opened a door into every home in the world," says our CEO Kerry Smith. www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/p...

1 month ago 1 3 0 0
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Teenagers, AI, Nudes and Online Blackmail: What You Need to Know Ask Rachel anything There's been a dramatic increase in reports of grooming, sextortion and AI generated child sexual abuse material in recent years, and most paren…

Don't be angry if your child has shared nudes online, it's vital they know they can come to you to help them take control of the situation. 🎧 The award-winning Teenagers Untangled podcast talks to @iwf.org.uk about the threat of AI, online safety and risk ⬇️ www.teenagersuntangled.com/teenagers-ai...

1 month ago 1 0 0 0

Informed article by @rostaylor.bsky.social highlights that under-18s threatened with sexual extortion can send nude images and videos to ReportRemove, run by @iwf.org.uk and @nspcc.bsky.social's Childline, to stop them from being uploaded. www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/...

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Actor Natalie Dormer supports the IWF’s Think Before You Share campaign
Actor Natalie Dormer supports the IWF’s Think Before You Share campaign YouTube video by Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)

Young people are being pressured to share intimate images without understanding the lasting impact.

Actor Natalie Dormer supports our latest campaign, urging adults to start crucial conversations with their children.

Find support at thinkbeforeyoushare.org

youtube.com/shorts/Uzh5L...

2 months ago 11 8 0 0
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📣Calling lawyers and Trust & Safety professionals working in online safety and children’s privacy.

Together with Pinsent Masons, we are hosting a half-day online conference.

📅 3 March | ⏱️3 - 6:30pm GMT

👉 Register now: www.pinsentmasons.com/events-train...

1 month ago 2 2 0 0
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On Thursday 26 February, our Head of Policy Hannah Swirsky will take part in a panel on AI and risks of Online Child Sexual exploitation facilitated by @terredeshommes.bsky.social - who will share key findings from their latest research project.

🕗 Time: 8am GMT (9am CET)

Register at bit.ly/469JGVv

1 month ago 2 3 0 0
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Are you an innovative and talented professional with at least three years of fundraising experience?

We're looking for a Partnerships Officer to join our team and help us to generate new creative partnerships and opportunities.

Find out more about the role & apply- www.iwf.org.uk/about-us/who...

2 months ago 1 1 0 0
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New rules on social media could target ‘doomscrolling’ and ban for under-16s, Starmer says – UK politics live Prime minister says outcomes of consultation on social media ban should be implemented quickly as technology minister says Australia-style ban is not inevitable

"New tech can be a dangerous frontier," says our Head of Policy Hannah Swirsky. "Government must provide clear guidelines for companies to build platforms which are safe by design where children are a central consideration not an afterthought." www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

2 months ago 1 2 0 0
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Our CEO Kerry Smith, said in response to today’s Government announcement: “At a time where children are facing unprecedented new harms and challenges online, we are pleased to see the commitment to bringing in on-device protections.”

www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/n...

4 months ago 2 1 1 0
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"The impact of child sexual abuse material cannot be understated," said Megan, a Survivor Advocate for child protection charity, the Marie Collins Foundation.

Your support removes harmful content and restores hope to survivors.

🎁 Give the gift of hope this Christmas. www.iwf.org.uk/donate

4 months ago 2 1 0 0
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AI companies must put child safety before profit. That means embedding safety-by-design principles and conducting rigorous testing.

You can hear Lib Dem Science, Innovation & Tech Spokesperson Victoria Collins MP make the case in Parliament for an AI Bill that puts safety-by-design at its core.

4 months ago 1 3 0 0
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Images shared in confidence by young people are routinely being ‘leaked’. Some teens (mostly boys) are even engaging in ‘collecting’ behaviours of nude imagery.

We must educate and protect our children in the digital world. Find out more at thinkbeforeyoushare.org/parents-and-...

4 months ago 3 4 0 0
IWF urges ambition as Denmark moves to close CSAM detection gap While providing legal certainty is desirable, the IWF says voluntary detection alone is not enough to meet the scale of the child sexual abuse crisis online.

EU countries have finally agreed on a position on the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, three years after it was first proposed. We urge negotiators to swiftly extend the temporary derogation and allow tech companies to keep detecting #CSAM voluntarily. www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/s...

4 months ago 2 4 0 0
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Love Zog, and the Snail and the Whale

5 months ago 1 0 0 0
SAG-AFTRA stands in solidarity with the Condé United and NewsGuild of New York union members who were retaliated against for questioning the closure of Teen Vogue. 

Four Condé Nast staffers were fired and additional union members appear to have been suspended without pay following their participation in a federally protected activity — gathering at their workplace to inquire about the Teen Vogue layoffs. 

When institutions that hire journalists infringe on their employee’s right to collective action it calls into question those institutions’ commitment to inquiry and journalistic integrity. It also threatens all unionized journalists and their ability to speak truth to power.

SAG-AFTRA reminds Condé Nast that collective action is a federally protected right. We join in solidarity with journalists as well as our union siblings in demanding the terminated employees be reinstated.

SAG-AFTRA stands in solidarity with the Condé United and NewsGuild of New York union members who were retaliated against for questioning the closure of Teen Vogue. Four Condé Nast staffers were fired and additional union members appear to have been suspended without pay following their participation in a federally protected activity — gathering at their workplace to inquire about the Teen Vogue layoffs. When institutions that hire journalists infringe on their employee’s right to collective action it calls into question those institutions’ commitment to inquiry and journalistic integrity. It also threatens all unionized journalists and their ability to speak truth to power. SAG-AFTRA reminds Condé Nast that collective action is a federally protected right. We join in solidarity with journalists as well as our union siblings in demanding the terminated employees be reinstated.

SAG-AFTRA stands in solidarity with the Condé United and NewsGuild of New York union members who were retaliated against for questioning the closure of Teen Vogue.

5 months ago 200 61 1 1
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Online child sexual abuse: The EU has a choice. Not between privacy and protection, but between indifference and compassion The debate on the EU’s proposed Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR) has been dominated by one loud slogan. A slogan which may have dire consequences for the safety and wellbeing of millions of childr...

“The debate on the EU’s proposed Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR) has been dominated by one loud slogan. A slogan which may have dire consequences for the safety and wellbeing of millions of children worldwide,” says our CEO Kerry Smith in her latest article. www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/b...

5 months ago 2 2 0 0
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Tech companies and UK child safety agencies to test AI tools’ ability to create abuse images New law will allow technology to be examined and ensure tools have safeguards to stop creation of material

Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan MP, said the move was “ultimately about stopping abuse before it happens”, adding: “Experts, under strict conditions, can now spot the risk in AI models early.”
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

5 months ago 1 1 0 0
IWF backs new rules as AI imagery grows more extreme The IWF welcomes new measures to help make sure digital tools are safe as new data shows AI child sexual abuse is still spreading.

Proposed new rules to allow thorough testing of AI models to ensure they cannot be used to create child sexual abuse imagery welcomed by @iwf.org.uk
www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/n...

5 months ago 0 1 0 0
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New crackdown on AI images of child sexual abuse as reports double in a year The Internet Watch Foundation said there has been a surge in AI-generated abuse content depicting infants

"AI tools have made it so [child sexual abuse] survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks," says @iwf.org.uk CEO Kerry Smith, as UK govt announces new rules to allow for thorough testing of AI models before they hit the market www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home...

5 months ago 2 1 0 0
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Tech companies and UK child safety agencies to test AI tools’ ability to create abuse images New law will allow technology to be examined and ensure tools have safeguards to stop creation of material

Kerry Smith, @iwf.org.uk CEO, said the law change could be “a vital step to make sure AI products are safe before they are released”.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

5 months ago 1 0 0 0