Sites reported record 29.3m child abuse images in 2021

The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children said it applauded sites that made identifying and reporting child abuse content a priority. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

A record 29.3m items of child abuse imagery were found and removed across the internet in 2021, according to data from the US nonprofit organisation in charge of coordinating reports on the matter.

The figure released by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a 35% increase from 2020.