- Child sex abuse image crimes recorded by UK police forces have risen by almost 10 per cent over the past year, with 36,829 offences logged between April 2024 and March 2025.
- The NSPCC warned that tech companies are failing to protect children online and urged the government to mandate "device-level protections" that block nude images from being created or shared.
- Snapchat accounted for 43 per cent of recorded platform-specific offences, while Meta platforms (Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger) made up almost a quarter of all reported incidents.
- NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood stated that technology exists to prevent these issues and called for government intervention to compel tech firms to act.
- Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips described the data as "deeply shocking" and reiterated the government's commitment to making it impossible for children to take, share, or view nude images, including criminalising "nudification" apps.
IN FULL
Children being ‘failed’ by tech companies as sex abuse image crimes rise by almost 10%
