Better Internet for Kids

In total, hotlines received over 1.73 million reports, the highest single-quarter volume recorded since the Observatory began. This sharp increase is largely attributable to an influx of reports processed by SafeNet Bulgaria, which alone received more than 1.4 million reports during the period.

Hotlines flagged 61.16 per cent of all reports as suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM), reaffirming the persistent prevalence of this illegal content among the total volume of submissions.

CSAM and related reports: what hotlines are seeing

Of the 1,062,319 CSAM-related reports submitted in Q1:

• 26,274 concerned self-generated content;
• 7,531 were non-self-generated CSAM
• 2,396 related to sexualised posing or inappropriate modelling of children;
• 2,330 involved computer-generated or virtual depictions of CSAM (such as animations or manga);
• 67 involved text-based CSAM.

Reports of computer-generated CSAM nearly doubled compared to the previous quarter, reflecting either a real growth in this content type or improved detection and classification by hotline analysts.

Hotlines also dealt with a wide range of other content types, including:

• 183 reports of child nudity;
• 68 reports of child grooming;
• 159 reports of sextortion;
• 689 reports of hate speech;
• 2,861 reports of content that, while flagged by users, were ultimately determined to be not illegal.

Public queries remained substantial, with hotlines responding to 74,396 requests for information. This highlights the crucial role hotlines play in offering guidance and support to the public.

New offender tactics and platform-specific observations

Hotlines reported a notable shift in offender behaviour. Whereas in previous years, offenders often shared composite images that condensed several frames from a video into one visual, there is now a trend towards uploading each frame individually. This change has significantly increased the number of images per URL. Pages that once hosted ten images may now contain 60 or more, particularly on services located in the Netherlands.

This has resulted in a substantial increase in the number of content items and the technical workload for analysts. Improvements in ICCAM’s auto-analysis functionality have helped hotlines manage this volume more efficiently, but the trend highlights the growing speed and scale of CSAM dissemination.

Actions taken: forwarding and takedown efforts

In response to verified CSAM reports, hotlines:

• forwarded 97,232 reports to law enforcement agencies;
• referred 30,762 reports to internet service providers for takedown;
• uploaded 1,304,829 reports to ICCAM.

All categories experienced an increase from the previous quarter, reflecting the network's strength and responsiveness.

Please note:  ICCAM is INHOPE’s secure software solution to collect, exchange and categorise reports on child sexual abuse material (CSAM), funded by the EU. ICCAM is used by INHOPE hotlines in different jurisdictions (countries) and INTERPOL. The name ICCAM is derived from the phrase “I see child abuse material”.

Hosting and distribution patterns

Websites remain the dominant medium for hosting CSAM, with over 1.6 million reports linked to website-based content. However, hotlines also recorded material shared through file-hosting services, forums, gaming platforms, and other digital environments that are not easily captured in standard classifications.

The number of reports involving moved hosting (29,952) highlights the persistent evasiveness of offenders and underscores the need for close cooperation across jurisdictions.

Conclusion: a complex and evolving threat landscape

The first quarter of 2025 saw a marked increase in both the volume and complexity of reports received by hotlines. Offenders are adapting quickly, spreading content in new ways and exploiting multiple platforms to avoid detection. At the same time, hotlines are responding with faster triage, better tools, and stronger coordination to meet these challenges.

As the scale of illegal and harmful content online continues to expand, the work of hotlines remains essential to protect children and support public awareness across Europe.