CSAM, grooming, age verification, COPPA, KOSA, and predatory behavior online.
264 articles across 6 topics
Pennsylvania Attorney General Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general opposing a proposed federal bill they argue would weaken states’ abi
ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in supporting the U.S. Senate’s version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), S. 1748. This legislation includes a key Duty of Care provision requiring online platforms to act in the ...
Attorney General Gentner Drummond is asking Congress to oppose the flawed Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, arguing the bill weakens states’ abilities to protect children online while insulating Big Tech from accountability.
A bipartisan group of attorneys general wrote to congressional leaders that passing the House’s KIDS Act — which includes a weakened version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) — would preempt state laws and “insulate Big Tech from appropriate oversight and accountability and imperil ...
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and a multistate bipartisan coalition of 43 other attorneys general announced that they are opposing the federal Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), H.R. 7757, citing concerns the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online ...
A bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general today sent a letter to congressional leadership opposing the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), H.R. 7757, citing concerns that the legislation would limit states’ ability to address online harms affecting children and adolescents.
Malaysia has implemented stricter regulations for social media and online platforms to enhance child safety online, aligning with measures taken by countries like Australia, Spain, and the UK., Technology & Science, Times Now
In 2025, lawmakers and enforcement agencies around the globe have kept one issue firmly in the spotlight: the privacy and safety of minors online. This heightened focus shows no sign of abating, with early indications that companies should expect to see more legislative and regulatory initiatives ...
The misguidedly named “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA) is being pushed by some members of Congress. Far from making the internet safer, its provisions would actually in effect require Digital […]
It joins a handful of other tech companies like Snap and Microsoft in supporting the bill, while major tech groups maintain opposition. The announcement comes as a key Senate committee prepares to move forward on its version of KOSA, after a House committee passed a largely overhauled version.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal(D-Conn.) released the following statements announcing a new endorsement from OpenAI for their Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Later today, Senator Blackburn, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate ...
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is officially throwing his support behind the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), giving the social media accountability bill a key post in the upper chamber. Cruz made a surprise appearance at a kids digital safety rally near the Capitol Tuesday, ...
OpenAI, which is currently facing a raft of lawsuits over alleged safety lapses in ChatGPT, has endorsed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The company said that its endorsement was part of a broader commitment to create "AI-specific rules" for kids safety · OpenAI's endorsement comes as KOSA, ...
Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz told parents and advocacy groups who rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday for passage of the Kids Online Safety Act that his committee would advance that bill and others designed to protect children in the digital space.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crime-and-policing-act-2026-factsheets/crime-and-policing-act-2026-child-sexual-abuse-material-factsheet ... Modernise the legal basis under which Border Force detects digitally held child sexual abuse material (CSAM) at ...
The FTC has warned that Take It Down Act violations may lead to civil penalties of $53,088 per violation.
Expanded Ofcom enforcement targets AI moderation, online hate, deepfakes, and child protection measures.
Minnesota is now the first state in the country to enact a law that prohibits access to what's known as "nudification" technology.
Should policymakers subject online contracts to age verification and require parental consent for minors to access digital services?
The European Union has agreed to ban AI tools that generate child sexual abuse material and non-consensual explicit images, with formal adoption expected before August.
What every game studio should ask its moderation vendor The regulatory perimeter around player safety has tightened considerably over the past eighteen months. The EU's Digital Services Act is in full enforcement. The UK's Online Safety Act has moved from publication to active duties, with ...
States introduced nearly 300 children's online safety laws targeting age verification, social media design, and AI chatbots. Analysis of regulatory trends and compliance challenges.
The EU has found Meta in breach of the DSA, just as the UK, Canada and Rwanda all move to restrict access to social media with age assurance.
Commission says tech company does not have effective measures to keep under-13s off Facebook and Instagram
Broadening COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard would create legal uncertainty that pushes companies to increase privacy risks for everyone.
Roughly 70 parents traveled to the U.S. Capitol to push for online safety legislation after juries found Meta and YouTube liable for harming children.
Australia's internet regulator on Wednesday asked online gaming platforms including Roblox and Microsoft's Minecraft to spell out how they protect children from grooming by sexual predators and shield young users from radicalisation.
A federal judge’s February ruling blocking Virginia’s enforcement of a statute that imposes a one-hour-per-day default limit for minors using a social media platform correctly puts parents––not the government––back in charge of letting their children access lawful, First ...
Experts warn lapse could sharply reduce reports of abuse, echoing a 58% drop during a similar legal gap in 2021
On April 3, 2026, the legal basis allowing platforms to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in Europe will expire. Without it, online service providers across the EU can no longer proactively detect and remove this content from their platforms – not because the tools don’t exist, but ...
Juries in New Mexico and California have accomplished something Congress has unsuccessfully spent years trying to do: Holding social media companies accountable for endangering children who use their platforms.
European Union regulators are probing Snapchat. Concerns exist that the platform inadequately protects children. Risks include exposure to predators and criminal recruitment. The investigation focuses on Snapchat's age verification systems. These systems are suspected of being insufficient ...
The European Parliament has voted not to prolong an interim derogation from e-Privacy rules that allows online service providers to voluntarily detect, remove, and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and grooming. Meaning this essential safeguard set to expire on 3 April 2026.
Dual jury verdicts found social media harmful to children. Other countries like Australia, Brazil and Malaysia have restrictions for kids.
The European Commission suspects that the US social network is in breach of EU law on digital services, exposing minors to "grooming attempts and recruitment for criminal purposes" and to "information relating to the sale of illegal goods"
The vote followed weeks of clashes, as national governments pushed the European Parliament to drop its privacy objections to the rules.
LONDON (AP) — European Union regulators are investigating Snapchat over concerns the platform isn't doing enough to protect kids and exposing them to risks such as increased vulnerability to child predators or recruitment by criminals.
The UK is moving forward with its efforts to ban social media for young people. Ahead of this week’s House of Lords debate on the topic, we’re getting you situated with a primer on what’s been
House Republicans revived federal child online safety legislation, but in doing so they stripped out the provision that gave KOSA its sharpest legal edge.
The family of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee has released the first draft of "Hailey's Law," a legislative proposal aimed at strengthening Indiana's response to missing children cases.
A SENATOR on Monday filed a resolution seeking to investigate Roblox and other online gaming platforms amid reports of games being utilized for planning acts of violence. Under Senate Resolution No. 357, Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, ...
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready urged governments to ban social media access for users under 16, praising Australia's youth social media restrictions and arguing tech companies have failed to prioritize child safety. The debate centers on youth mental health, age verification, and whether governments should impose stronger protections for minors online.
In 48 hours, lawmakers moved more aggressively than they have in nearly a decade, but will it pass a challenge in federal court?
New tools enabled by the REPORT Act have made it easier to submit seized CSAM, according to Shehan. NCMEC launched an Electronic File Submission system on January 29, 2026, allowing law enforcement to submit seized CSAM electronically instead of mailing physical media.
UK regulators warn tech companies to implement age assurance controls, New Zealand legislators propose an overhaul to country’s online safety laws, and WhatsApp introduces parental controls – plus other key updates.
EU countries and lawmakers on Monday failed to agree to an extension of a temporary measure governing how Alphabet's OGL.O Google, Meta Platforms and other online platforms tackle child sexual abuse material, leaving a legal vacuum on the issue.
The threat of online child exploitation continues to loom despite the government’s plan to restrict children’s access to certain digital platforms, as experts warn that predators can easily move across multiple online spaces where young users interact.
The European Commission has published the long-awaited guidelines clarifying how online platforms such as social media platforms, online marketplaces, app stores and other content-sharing services should protect minors under Article 28(1) of the Digital Services Act (“DSA”).1Published on ...
EU extends CSAM rules to allow voluntary detection of child abuse material online while negotiations on permanent law continue.
The Stop Online Predators Act was included in the governor’s State of the State proposals.
Stay up-to-date on the latest legislative developments related to children and digital media with "Policy Update" in Children and Screens' monthly newsletter ScreenShots · On March 5, the House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) held a markup of several child online safety bills, including ...
MEPs support extending an exemption to privacy legislation allowing the voluntary detection of child sexual abuse material online until 3 August 2027.
The EPP Group is calling on the other political groups in the European Parliament to vote to extend EU rules that allow online platforms to detect child sexual abuse material online. Without an extension before the 3 April deadline, platforms could...
The measure included the Kids Online Safety Act, though House Democrats contended the bill would leave a “giant loophole” for Big Tech.
IAPP Staff Writer Alex LaCasse reports on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce advancing the KIDS Act along party lines to a full vote before the House of Representatives.
Karnataka, home to tech hub Bengaluru, plans to ban children under 16 from social media platforms, joining a growing global movement that includes Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia — though enforcement details remain unclear.
Congress is struggling for consensus on legislation to protect kids in the digital age after years of legislative work, but at least one bill stands a shot of becoming law this year.
Bills that would seek to provide greater online protections for kids moved forward on both sides of Capitol Hill on Thursday, though a House measure was pulled back from a committee vote in a bid for bipartisan support. The Senate passed a bipartisan bill by unanimous consent that would amend ...
House Republicans forged ahead on a child online safety package over the vocal opposition of committee Democrats.
Senate versions of the Kids Online Safety Act and COPPA 2.0, have bipartisan support.
A GOP-led package of kids’ online safety bills, including the landmark Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), advanced out of a House committee Thursday amid heavy pushback from Democrats and technology safety advocates. In a lengthy bill markup Thursday, House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie ...
A House committee has revamped its version of kids online safety legislation for at least the third time, losing bipartisan support in the process and likely impairing its ability to pass the House.
The House Energy and Commerce brought a social media bill to the markup process before it heads to the floor.
House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) will roll out a new legislative package focused on kids’ online safety this week after negotiations between Republicans and Democrats fell apart. Guthrie will introduce the package, dubbed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, ...
House members tagged on new penalties for AI and social media tech companies, and social media controls for minors including age verification, parental access controls and a curfew.
Dear Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone: On behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the bipartisan organization representing the legislatures of our nation's states, territories and commonwealths, we write to express our appreciation for the House Energy and ...
Commentary / March 2, 2026 · TikTok’s and Meta’s 2025 DSA risk assessments describe a range of risks and a multitude of mitigations addressing risks to minors: screentime management, parental controls, privacy-oriented design defaults, and restrictions on notifications.
All new smartphones and tablets ... of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), under a proposal to be voted on in the House of Lords this week. The amendment to the crime and policing bill, which has cross-party support, would require tech companies to embed an AI tool to detect CSAM on ...
What to know about the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, which has been reintroduced and has a second chance in front of Congress.
State and federal bills seek to limit minors’ access to social media, but civil liberties advocates warn that the resulting online censorship threatens constitutional rights without delivering real safety.
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey wants you to think he's protecting children. His press release says so. His legal complaint opens with the genuinely horrific line that Apple has, in internal communications, described itself as the "greatest platform for distributing child porn."
House Republicans have long expressed concerns about KOSA, citing potential infringements on First Amendment rights and risks of censorship—concerns that ultimately dragged down COPPA 2.0 alongside KOSA. Constitutional objections clearly remain for House leadership. During a December 2025 ...
Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that she has joined together with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from around the country in urging Congressional leadership to protect children from online harm and pass the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), S.1748.
UK: Online safety and age assurance | UK government to consult on social media ban for children | Online Safety Act updates - New priority offences; Ofcom expedites decision on measures to block non-consensual intimate images; call for evidence on a statutory report on content harmful to children; ...
A bipartisan coalition of 40 state and territorial attorneys general to congressional leadership urges support for the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), S. 1748.
Appeals court overrules federal judge in Austin, saying Texas law requiring verification for downloads can go into effect for now. It’d been called unconstitutional.
While Europe tightens age assurance rules, U.S. state-level battles continue as lawmakers and NetChoice clash over online child safety laws.
In the rush to block young people from certain parts of the internet, lawmakers are creating a privacy and security nightmare for everyone. This scenario is already playing out globally. Help us stop
A federal appeals court allowed Texas to require app stores to verify users’ ages and seek parental consent before a minor can download apps.
The All About Cookies team dug into how governments and tech companies are rolling out age verification laws — and what that means for kids, parents, and online privacy.
In California, a new law will require operating systems to ask for your age—and potentially verify it with your identity. Similar legislation is under consideration elsewhere. Critics are sounding the alarm.
Experts at a MediaNama roundtable debated whether age verification for children online is technically feasible, privacy-safe, or effective.
The European Commission has set a clear timeline for rolling out age verification across the EU: by June 30, 2026, Member States are encouraged to submit
Requirement to upload documents for the purpose of ‘age verification’ is coming to platforms near you
Meta is expanding AI-based age enforcement tools across Facebook and Instagram to identify potentially underage users.
This blog post analyzes the European Commission’s 2026 recommendation on EU-wide age verification, its legal framework, and implications for social media regulation in Member States.
The app is designed to give platforms and Member States a privacy-preserving way to support age checks under the EU’s Digital Services Act.
As of February 2026, 25 U.S. states, the U.K., Australia, and Spain have laws requiring age verification, suggesting a rapidly growing global trend which will h...
The calls to action reflect a landscape that is working through challenges in providing privacy-preserving age checks that meet the standard for public trust.
A December 2025 survey found broad support for age verification across nine European countries, with about 73% of respondents backing laws that would require online platforms to use privacy-preserving age verification tools. For readers tracking digital regulation, the result points to unusually ...
New research reveals the startling ease of evading access gates
To stop children from bypassing its age checks, Meta is revamping its age-verification tools with an AI system that analyzes images and videos for “visual cues,” such as height and bone structure.
The youth are no longer wearing makeup to sneak into the newest bar: they're drawing on mustaches to get into the next hottest club, the Internet.
Age verification implemented via the Online Safety Act isn't keeping kids safe - in fact, it's pushing them into riskier places
New York proposes strict age verification rules for chat and gaming platforms, potentially reshaping online interactions and parental controls.
The European Commission has announced that Meta has failed to prevent users under the age of 13 from accessing Instagram and Facebook.
The European Commission says the app will be free, anonymous and available on any device and has told EU countries they must roll it out by the end of 2026.
Pornography Age Verification Laws: State-By-State Regulations After SCOTUS Ruling | Super Lawyers - an article appearing in Super Lawyers Magazine April 2026
The European Commission on Wednesday urged member states to quickly adopt its new age verification app to protect minors from harmful content online, and to make sure the technology is available everywhere before the end of the year.
The Commissioner for Digital Technologies, Henna Virkkunen, has announced that she is sending a formal recommendation to Member States. But many national governments are skeptical as experts have shown that the online age verification app can be hacked in two minutes
The Commission has adopted a recommendation urging EU countries to accelerate the rollout of the EU age verification app, making it available by the end of 2026.
US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. Track elected officials, research health conditions, and find news you can use in politics, business, health, and education.
: 'Online platforms can rely on our app,' says Commish, 'there are no more excuses'
The EU’s app to check the age of internet users faces resistance from national governments, according to a survey by POLITICO.
Brussels says its age-verification app is ready, but critics argue the Commission is both too slow and focused on the wrong problem. The presentation has already sparked debate over its security and effectiveness.
The European (EU) Commission launches an open source age verification app to enforce child safety rules, combining privacy-first technology with stricter
The EU's age verification app for online platforms is ready and will soon be available to use, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, as member states push ahead with plans to limit children's access to social media.
EU says its new age-verification app is technically ready, promising stronger online protection for minors without compromising users’ data.
Legislative efforts to age-gate parts of the internet are gaining traction. Some experts warn of compliance complications and data security breaches.
Available for free to any company that wants to use it, the “completely anonymous” app puts the pressure on porn sites and social media platforms to start blocking access by minors.
The search for an age-verification system that protects user data may begin and end in the EU.
Age verification mandates won't magically keep young people safer online, but that has not stopped governments around the world spending 2025 implementing or attempting to introduce legislation requiring all online users to verify their ages before accessing the digital space.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three bills that add age verification to social media and AI programs are up for executive action Monday by the Missouri House's Emerging Issues Committee. House Bill 3393 and 2392, sponsored by Representatives Don Mayhew (R-Crocker) and Marty Murray (D-St.
Nine in 10 Americans support age verification laws online. Almost as many say those laws aren't working, and they know because they’ve gotten around them, too.
European Union regulators accused several adult content platforms of failing to adequately prevent minors from accessing explicit material.
With online age checks spreading across the globe, users are turning to VPNs to bypass the new requirements. Now, some lawmakers are promising to rein in the tech.
Study finds problems in 21 of 25 platforms run by major companies targeting children and teenagers
On-device face scans and cross-platform age keys decrease privacy risks, but trust issues abound.
Governments worldwide are introducing age checks and social media restrictions for minors. Here's how the global timeline is unfolding.
Social media firms need to use better age verification technologies to keep children off their platforms, the U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office said.
Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Roblox are among the platforms UK regulators say aren't putting children's safety at the heart of their products.
The legal campaign against state social media age check laws is entering a more precarious phase for NetChoice and the CCIA.
The UK and Australia aren't the only places cracking down.
For years, tech companies successfully resisted pressure from child safety advocates to do more to keep kids off their services, claiming technical limitations would make any attempt to restrict access for teens impractical, overly broad or a security risk.
New proposals would require stronger safeguards across digital platforms while placing age verification at center of effort to protect minors online.
Across the country, lawmakers are trying to figure out how — or whether — government should step in when it comes to kids and the internet. Some proposals focus on social media platforms. Others target app stores. A few states have gone a step further, looking at the devices themselves.
Governments are building identity verification into every digital layer: OS, app store, platform, SIM card. Different names, same infrastructure.
New age-verification laws and tools are designed for child safety on social media and the internet, but adults are in the crosshairs, say privacy experts.
: Bad legislation, but an especially big headache for FOSS
Countries around the world are tightening rules to verify the age of children on social media platforms. New systems use AI face scans, government ID checks, and behaviour analysis to detect underage users, though privacy and accuracy concerns remain.
What started as age gates on adult websites has quietly crept into app stores and operating systems.
Explore the key trends shaping online age verification in 2026, including biometric age estimation, privacy-preserving technologies, and standards-based approaches.
In our next look at US state law developments in the children's space, we turn to age verification laws. These laws are focused on either app stores or platforms.
In an open letter, over 400 computer scientists caution governments against imposing age restrictions on internet platforms.
On February 25, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an Enforcement Policy Statement Promoting the Adoption of Age-Verification Technology signaling a significant shift in its enforcement approach under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Age verification through a live selfie or uploading a piece of government ID is the way that technology companies say will be used to keep children off harmful sites.
Big Social is reaching its Big Tobacco moment as it regulations intensify and social media companies look to implement age verification methods on its platforms.
This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)As online platforms prepare to enforce stricter age verification rules, they face a complex technical challenge: confirming users’ ages without exposing sensitive personal data. Systems that rely on biometric analysis or government-issued ...
Apple complies with new age-assurance laws in the U.S. and abroad, including those that block users from downloading apps aimed at adults.
A growing number of online platforms are adopting age verification measures, raising concerns from users about privacy, security, and censorship.
Discord is delaying its age verification rollout after backlash from users, and has addressed privacy concerns in a new blog.
Age verification is forcing companies to undermine data privacy laws.
2026 guide to global online age regulations: key changes, practical implications, and implementation choices for secure, low-friction age-control flows.
Discord has begun rolling out mandatory age verification and the internet is, understandably, freaking out. We’ve written extensively about why age verification mandates are a censorship and surveillance nightmare. Discord’s shift only reinforces those concerns.
Online child exploitation is increasing across Europe, alongside AI-generated abuse content. Which countries are emerging as hotspots for abuse material?
For victims of AI deepfake abuse - many are children - discovering is just the start. The real ordeal happens after. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The Internet Watch Foundation 2025 annual reports highlight rising threats to youth: AI-generated CSAM, sextortion, and violence against girls.
A Portland detective warns AI and social media are making it easier for predators to exploit children online while overwhelming investigators.
After five teen girls were targeted by AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Radnor Township High School in Pennsylvania has become a case study in how schools and police around the country grapple with how to response to deepfake crimes involving children.
The generation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) using Artificial Intelligence has evolved from a theoretical threat to a primary global safety crisis in 2026. This technological
Experts are urging schools to take down identifiable photos of students, after AI deepfakes have led to sextortion cases at UK schools.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced its first prosecution over Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) that was generated by AI.
A man arrested by Chandler Police officers, William Powderly, has been indicted for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). It is the first case involving AI-generated CSAM to be charged by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Chandler Police began investigating Powderly after receiving ...
A Chandler man is the first person charged under Arizona's law making AI-generated child pornography a felony
Police agencies worldwide issue urgent alerts about a surge in AI-generated child sexual abuse material. However, AI Security Risks now dominate safety discussions as synthetic imagery overwhelms investigators. Consequently, watchdogs report a 26,385% year-over-year rise in flagged AI videos ...
Officials say in a Maricopa County first, a 43-year-old man was indicted on multiple charges for allegedly having AI-generated child sexual abuse material in his possession.
A disturbing new report is shedding light on just how widespread AI-generated deepfake pornography has become among teenagers.
HARRISBURG- In a somewhat rare move, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is in unanimous agreement on a single subject matter; if you are mandated reporter and encounter AI generated child pornography, also known as CSAM or Child Sexual Abuse Material, you NEED to report it. […]
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Three alleged victims of a high school student accused of using AI to make explicit photos and videos of multiple classmates using innocent photos of them have sued xAI in federal court, claiming the company is liable for the production of child sex abuse materials.
Pennsylvania and federal efforts to address the explosion of AI-generated abusive deepfakes of children may give a false sense of security and leave gaps, experts say.
On March 25, two 16-year-old boys from Lancaster, Pennsylvania received probation for using generative artificial intelligence to create fake child sexual abuse material(“CSAM”) of their female classmates. Both defendants admitted in court to participating in the criminal scheme, including ...
How We Investigated the Epidemic of AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material on the Internet. While major tech companies invest billions and deplete natural resources in a race to build faster, more powerful artificial intelligence systems, a silent epidemic is spreading online: the creation...
Senate Bill 393 is a test case for how the state responds to digital exploitation that doesn’t involve direct physical acts of abuse.
An affidavit said Soza-Fraire would upload images of 16 and 17-year-old former classmates, and the AI program would make photos of them naked or undressing.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) ... child sexual abuse imagery (CSAM), with reports increasing by over 150 per cent in one year. In 2025, the IWF received 491 reports of realistic AI-generated CSAM, a significant rise from 193 in 2024, with AI-generated video content showing an even more dramatic increase from 13 to 3,443 instances. AI-generated imagery is often assessed as the most serious category (Category A) of abuse content, and the IWF warns that this material can be created ...
AI has supercharged child predators' abilities to harm kids. Underfunded investigators can't keep up
An analysis by WIRED and Indicator found nearly 90 schools and 600 students around the world impacted by AI-generated deepfake nude images—and the problem shows no signs of going away.
Lawmakers are aiming to crack down on child sexual assault material created using AI.
An Ohio man was convicted of cybercrimes involving obscene AI-generated images of women and children. But experts warn of the difficulties in going after such cases.
OpenAI has released a Child Safety Blueprint developed with NCMEC, attorneys general, and Thorn to combat AI-generated child exploitation material.
James Strahler, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visuals of child sexual abuse material, and publishing digital forgeries.
One in 17 young people have personally experienced deepfake imagery abuse, and one in eight know a victim.
Police across the UK are struggling to keep up as cases of child sexual abuse images soar online. Experts warn the true scale is hidden, with AI, encrypted messaging and social media fuelling a growing crisis that leaves children at risk and authorities stretched to the limit.
London: The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported that the amount of AI-generated child sexual abuse material found online rose by 14 per cent in 20...
AI-generated abuse content surged in 2025, with watchdogs warning that the technology is making harmful material easier to create and spread.
Internet Watch Foundation identifies over 8,000 AI-made CSAM files, with majority of videos classified in most severe category under UK law - Anadolu Ajansı
The rapid evolution in artificial intelligence has come with its dilemma of misusing the tools. According to safety watchdog, the AI misuse has fuelled alarming surge in child sexual abuse content...
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.
Internet Watch Foundation verified 8,029 pieces of realistic AI-made content, with 65% of videos in worst category
Teens will be sentenced Wednesday after admitting to creating AI CSAM.
Three teenagers in Tennessee have sued Elon Musk’s xAI, claiming the company’s image-generation tools were used to morph real photos of them into explicitly sexual images.
Exclusive: eSafety commission pointed to Musk’s promise that ‘removing child exploitation is priority #1’ in letter obtained by Guardian Australia
With technology evolving every day and predators learning new tactics, state criminal investigators say Artificial Intelligence poses a different challenge when prosecuting predators with sexually explicit content involving children.
Lawsuit details how sexualized AI-generated images were produced and distributed without girls’ knowledge
Lawuit details how sexualised AI-generated images were produced and distributed without girls’ knowledge
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — During his final State of the State Address this week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called on the legislature to outlaw child sexual abuse material generated by artificial intelligence, specifically praising one bill currently making its way through the Ohio Senate.
A Cybertip received in January has led the Centre Police Department (CPD) to 21-year-old Malaki Ray Sipsy, who was allegedly using AI to make CSAM.
Florida lawmakers passed a bill to increase penalties for child sex crimes and AI-generated material. Here's what to know.
Technology companies and child ... AI CSAM across multiple platforms. Online platform operators implement detection systems that identify AI-generated content, while organizations like the National Center continue to expand reporting mechanisms. However, the rapid advancement of AI model technology often outpaces detection capabilities, creating an ongoing technological arms race between offenders and those protecting children from sexual abuse...
An anonymous tip led police to discover the images Joel Salinas reportedly made of his classmates using AI technology.
Reports of artificial intelligence-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) skyrocketed from 4,700 in 2023 to more than 400,000 in just the first half of 2025, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
InvestigateTV+ takes an in-depth look at a new era of risk for children, the push for stronger protection, plus sexual abuse survivors share their trauma to encourage parents to engage in difficult but important conversations.
Deepfake pornography is rapidly expanding as generative artificial intelligence (GAI) enables the manipulation of innocent images into sexually explicit content. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported GAI-related child sexual exploitation cases rising from 6,835 ...
The House approved HB47 on Feb. 27, 2026, creating new felonies for AI-generated child sexual abuse material and adding strict social media limits for minors; the bill now goes to the Senate.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it received over a million reports tied to AI-generated child sexual abuse material in just nine months.
Stability AI said it had introduced safeguards to enhance its safety standards and “is deeply committed to preventing the misuse of our technology, particularly in the creation and dissemination of harmful content, including CSAM.” · Amazon and OpenAI, when asked to comment, pointed to reports they posted online that explained their efforts to detect and report child sexual abuse material...
Alaska law enforcement officials are struggling to prosecute child sexual abuse material cases as artificial intelligence makes it easier for criminals to generate synthetic images.
Automated warning messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) desistance are scalable, real-time digital interventions designed to interrupt user behaviors associated with the search for, access to, consumption, or distribution of CSAM by delivering salient prompts—such as pop-ups, overlays, embedded alerts, or chatbot interactions—when high-risk online actions are detected ...
More than 70 million warning messages have been sent to people attempting to access child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online over the past two years, the
The messages highlight the illegality of what people are searching for online and direct them towards help.
An increasing number of internet platforms featuring Child Sexual Abuse Material are using paywalls and restricted-access systems in an effort to avoid authorities.
Threats once confined to the physical world are now on children’s laptops, their gaming systems, and the phones they carry in their pockets — and investigators can't keep up.
Webinar with experts from Microsoft, Google, and Snap to walk through how child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detection works in practice.
Kerala News: In a first for India, Kerala Police is using AI to crack down on child sexual abuse material online. The tool, Katalyst, helps sift through vast digital evidence, identify victims faster, and track perpetrators across social media platforms.
We detected 1,098,047 instances ... subsequent human review, Amazon determined that 99.60% were false positives, and only 4,376 were confirmed CSAM. In 2026, we have enhanced our detection pipeline to improve our identification of CSAM and substantially reduce the false ...
The popular messaging service told the BBC in a statement it "categorically denies Ofcom's accusations".
Senator Grassley's investigation into eight technology giants exposes critical deficiencies in their provision of actionable intelligence to the NCMEC CyberTipline.
Law enforcement, child-protection advocates, federal agencies and media outlets have deliberately moved away from the phrase "child pornography" — here's what the preferred term means, and why.
Exclusive: Call for nudity-detection tech on phones as number of under-18s reporting blackmail attempts rises by 34%
The removal of the current legal basis enabling voluntary detection by online platforms could have far-reaching implications for safeguarding children.Last year alone, Europol processed around 1.1 million of so-called CyberTips, originating from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ...
Meta's end-to-end encryption raises child safety concerns, with a New Mexico trial revealing internal warnings that disappearing abuse reports highlight the tension between privacy and protection.
Get the latest online child sexual abuse and exploitation statistics from one of the leaders in child safety technology. Information updated in January of 2026
Edinburgh-based Cyacomb adds Similarity Matching to Examiner Plus, helping police spot altered child abuse images on phones in minutes.
Here's what clinicians must do when patients admit viewing CSEM: more on state reporting rules, confidentiality limits, and why California is different.
300 million children are affected by tech-facilitated abuse each year—Paul Gullon-Scott examines what Childlight's Into the Light Index 2025 findings mean for digital forensic investigators on the frontline of CSAM cases.
Criminals are using artificial intelligence to exploit children. Even though the content is generated, the consequences are real.
As investigations continue into Dalten Johnson’s reported child sexual abuse situation, more victims from his alma mater are stepping forward with their stories.
Operation Firewall, a child exploitation crackdown in Southern California, resulted in 341 arrests and the rescue of 40 children. The operation targeted internet-facilitated offenses and emphasized the importance of parental vigilance in protecting children from online predators.
Hong Kong authorities recorded 40 online sexual grooming cases targeting minors in the first four months of this year, the city’s security chief has said, as the government mulls a legal revamp.
Government announces a near tenfold increase but forces fear it will not cover anticipated cost of dedicated teams
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences · Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Roblox lawsuit claims center on allegations that the platform allowed predators to groom, exploit, and abuse children through unsafe design and inadequate...
Increasingly, perpetrators adapt their tactics to children’s online habits, targeting them through social media, gaming platforms, and communication applications widely used by young people. If not recognised in time, grooming can lead to different forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse: the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, sexual extortion, live streaming of child sexual abuse, in-person abuse, and sexual exploitation. The report comes at a critical time, as since 3 April 2026 ...
AI is transforming online grooming - from deepfake sextortion to AI-generated scripts and voice cloning. Digital Safety Squad breaks down the threats and what parents can do.
An AI persona called Maya earns $43,000 a month on OnlyFans. The technology behind her is identical to what groomers use to target children.
Attorney Dan Adams digs into the FBI letter warning Wisconsin parents that extremist online groups are targeting children across the state.
Online child luring cases reported to police increased nearly 20 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
These networks, commonly known as “764,” use tactics to befriend victims and groom them through a trusting or romantic relationship.
The FBI is warning parents and guardians about an increase in "sadistic online exploitation" networks known as 764.
The new accounts come months after the Australian government put the video game giant on notice over numerous child grooming reports.
Multiple state attorneys general and dozens of families have now sued Roblox.
There are no barriers to entry on Leomatch, with users needing only to key in their name, age and location. Read more at straitstimes.com.
A growing transnational network known as the “764 Network” is exploiting children online through social media, gaming platforms, and chat apps. Victims are groomed and coerced into producing abusive content or self-harm, while perpetrators share the material for status within underground ...
Pennsylvania State Police are warning parents about the growing dangers children face online.
Utah investigators are warning about sadistic online predators who threaten, manipulate and even physically harm children.
Los Angeles County sued the online gaming platform Roblox for its alleged failure to protect children from danger.
A growing number of families are suing Roblox after learning their children were groomed, exploited, or exposed to sexually explicit content through the platform. Roblox spent years branding ...
Attorney General William Tong today announced the State of Connecticut has opened an investigation into online gaming and chat platform Roblox following widespread reports of child exploitation and harm.
State officials said a major legal step was made in their efforts to protect children online.
A coalition of child safety groups is calling for a federal investigation into Roblox, as the gaming platform faces about 150 lawsuits alleging it failed to protect children from online grooming, sexual exploitation and other predatory conduct.
Is Big Tech having its Big Tobacco moment?In late March, tech giants Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and Google, parent company to YouTube suff
Recent verdicts against social media companies in New Mexico and California were lauded as “monumental,” “powerful,” and “historic” by members of Congress after juries found platforms liable for harms caused by their design features, rather than the third-party content they hosted.
Investigation comes amid growing scrutiny of the impact and liability of technology platforms towards kids.
New Mexico jury fines Meta $375M for failing to protect children from predators on its platforms.
Sen. Josh Hawley announces investigation into Google following child sex trafficking hearing, requesting internal policies on detection and removal of abuse material.
The lawsuit accuses Apple of prioritizing privacy branding and its own business interests over child safety.
Los Angeles County has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, the popular online gaming platform, alleging the company has failed to adequately protect children from predatory behavior and grooming on its platform.
Two juries will now decide whether Meta’s platforms crossed legal lines on child safety, age verification, and addictive design.