INHOPE, the global network dedicated to combating online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), has released its annual report shedding light on the grim reality of the battle against CSAM.

INHOPE’s figures are sobering as the organisation collates and parses data from over 780,000 reports that were processed in 2023.

These reports come from the public who submit content URLs that they suspect contain child sexual abuse or exploitation.

The Scale of the Problem

In 2023, INHOPE member hotlines exchanged over 780,000 content URLs potentially containing illegal and harmful material depicting child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Each of these URLs could include an image or video victimising a child, highlighting the critical need for immediate intervention to safeguard children of all ages and genders globally.

INHOPE member hotlines handled 785,322 ICCAM (a secure platform used to collect, exchange, and classify reports of CSAM) reports of potential child abuse cases, marking a notable increase from the previous year.

Concerningly, 88% of the content reviewed was classified as “new,” indicating a rise in the emergence of previously unseen images or videos depicting child sexual abuse. Over 69% of ICCAM reports were classified as illegal, reinforcing the necessity for enhanced collaboration and process standardisation among INHOPE members.

Over 95% of the illegal content depicted young girls as victims, underlining the urgent need for intervention and protection measures.

Trends in 2023

The surge in new content underscores the need for heightened awareness-raising activities, attributed to factors like Non-Consensual Intimate Image (NCII) abuse online. Notably, there has been an increase in the depiction of 14–17-year-olds, indicating the prevalence of NCII abuse and its long-term impact on victims’ mental health.

Nascent technologies like artificial intelligence are being exploited by offenders to create new categories of abuse, posing significant challenges in combating CSAM.

Offenders are leveraging AI-generated imagery and chatbots to scale their grooming and sextortion activities. The rise of Child Abuse Pyramid Sites (CAP Sites) underscores an alarming trend in the commercialisation and distribution of CSAM online, incentivising the spread of illegal content.

Additional Stats from 2023:

• 69% of ICCAM reports were classified as illegal, indicating a concerning rise from the previous year.
• Over 95% of ICCAM reports classified as illegal contained young girls as victims, highlighting the disproportionate impact on female children.
• 4% of the content involved the abuse of young boys, indicating a lesser but still significant portion of male victims.
• 83% of victims depicted were aged 3-13, with a notable increase in content featuring 14–17-year-olds.
• The prevalence of Child Abuse Pyramid Sites (CAP Sites) witnessed a concerning surge, signifying an evolving and organised approach to the commercialisation of CSAM online.
• INHOPE traced ICCAM reports to 84 countries, indicating a global spread of CSAM and the need for comprehensive international cooperation in combating this issue.

Recommended reading

• Exploitation of genai a grave concern for IT experts
• Google Analytics data transfer causes GDPR fine for Swedish firms
• HMRC build blockchain proof of concept for UK border

In a letter embedded in the report’s introduction, INHOPE president, Jean-Christophe Le Toquin, said: “Let us always be fuelled by our motivation and core objective to support and protect the victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation… Often, we hear
that legislation is outdated and bureaucracy creates a lag in much needed change; however, we cannot ignore that many countries face societal and economic factors that contribute to systematic child abuse.

“It is therefore essential that both areas are addressed, which is why every country needs a hotline that can act as the central entity working with all parties to tackle child abuse.”