The number of commercial websites trafficking in child sexual abuse images has doubled in just one year, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) revealed on Thursday. Their alarming 2025 report uncovered a staggering 15,031 such sites, up from 7,028 in 2024.
Disguised Platforms Hide in Plain Sight
Disturbingly, 16% of these websites — 2,458 in total — mask their vile content by appearing legitimate or lying dormant, giving paedophiles secret access. The IWF identified and digitally flagged over 317,000 abusive images, helping tech firms stop their spread.
IWF Demands Financial Crackdown on Child Abuse Profiteers
Kerry Smith, IWF Chief Executive: “Criminals are exploiting systemic failures and making easy profits from children’s sexual exploitation. This is an industry that must be disrupted at every stage.” “We need mandatory rules forcing financial services to detect and report payment links linked to these abuses. End-to-end encryption firms must adopt proven safety tools to stop their platforms becoming safe havens for criminals.”
Rising Sextortion Cases and Calls for Tough Action
Sextortion cases, where victims are blackmailed with graphic images, more than doubled last year. The IWF handled 397 reports in 2025, compared to 175 in 2024, mostly via their Report Remove helpline.
Chris Sherwood, NSPCC Chief Executive: “The rise in commercial child abuse sites exposes a brutal problem. Criminal gangs profit from children’s suffering, leaving victims defenceless and traumatised.” “Ofcom must tackle perpetrators at the source, and tech firms need to use existing tech to stop children from sharing or receiving nudes.”
Government Pledges Harsh Crackdown
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding: “These sickening figures show we won’t let gangs profit from children’s pain.” “New laws in the Crime and Policing Bill will bring hefty prison sentences for those running or moderating these vile sites. We will go further and use the full power of the British state to deliver the biggest child abuse crackdown ever.” “Tech companies and the financial sector can’t keep turning a blind eye to this online market in child exploitation.”
