Summary
Shocking Statistic Over 60% of Child Sexual Abuse Webpages in 2024 Linked to EU Country is a 2024 Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) report highlighting the alarming concentration of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) hosted within European Union (EU) countries. The report reveals that over 60% of all known CSAM webpages globally were traced to servers located in the EU, with the Netherlands identified as the largest single host country, accounting for approximately 32% of reported URLs. This finding underscores the critical role that EU infrastructure and hosting services play in the global distribution of illegal content, despite ongoing removal efforts and legislative measures.
The prominence of the Netherlands and other EU member states in hosting CSAM has been attributed to their robust internet infrastructure, availability of low-cost hosting services, and comparatively lenient enforcement practices, which offenders exploit to evade detection and takedown. While the proportion of content hosted in the EU has shown slight fluctuations since 2021, the overall trend reflects Europe’s emergence as a primary hotspot for such illicit material. Complicating the issue, recent years have also seen an increase in the volume and severity of abuse imagery, including a doubling of the most severe Category A content between 2020 and 2022, as well as the growing appearance of AI-generated CSAM, presenting new challenges for detection and removal.
The report has drawn significant attention to ongoing regulatory and operational responses within the EU, including proposed revisions to Directive 2011/93/EU aimed at strengthening penalties and expanding preventive obligations, as well as the establishment of an EU Centre to facilitate cooperation among member states, industry, and civil society. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of these measures remains a subject of debate, with critics highlighting gaps in child rights impact assessments, potential conflicts with online privacy protections, and inconsistent enforcement across jurisdictions. The controversy underscores the complex balance between safeguarding children and preserving fundamental rights in the digital age.
Efforts by organizations such as the IWF continue to be pivotal in identifying, reporting, and facilitating the removal of CSAM, working in partnership with international law enforcement and industry stakeholders. However, the persistent and evolving nature of child sexual abuse material online, compounded by technological advances and shifting hosting patterns, emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated, comprehensive strategies to combat this global threat effectively.
Background
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet has been a persistent and evolving challenge over the past decade. Reports from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) between 2014 and 2024 indicate ongoing efforts to identify and remove suspected and confirmed CSAM content worldwide. The majority of this material tends to be hosted in hidden or lesser-known areas of the internet, often outside the United Kingdom, where hosting services are affordable, reliable, and less stringent in enforcing criminal content policies. A significant shift has been observed in recent years, with Europe emerging as a primary location for hosting CSAM. In 2021, 62% of all known CSAM was traced to European countries, with the Netherlands identified as a particular hotspot due to its robust internet infrastructure and low-cost hosting options. That year, 41% of URLs confirmed to be hosting CSAM were located in the Netherlands alone, highlighting the country’s role as a hub for such illicit activity.
The rise of technology has also influenced the nature of CSAM. A report published by the IWF in July 2024 revealed a concerning increase in AI-generated CSAM images and videos. Over a 30-day period, 3,512 AI-created CSAM items were identified on a dark web forum, marking a 17% increase compared to a similar review in late 2023.
Efforts to combat this issue have included legislative and regulatory measures at the European level. In February 2024, the Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement to extend temporary derogations under the e-privacy directive, allowing for voluntary detection of online child sexual abuse until April 2026. Industry leaders and advocacy groups continue to call for stronger and clearer policies to address the hosting and distribution of CSAM across Europe, emphasizing the need for cooperation between governments, internet service providers, and civil society.
2024 Data and Study Overview
In 2024, data collected by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) revealed that over 60% of child sexual abuse webpages worldwide were hosted within European Union (EU) countries, making Europe the leading region for the hosting of such illegal content. The Netherlands was identified as the primary host country, accounting for 32% of reports (82,605 URLs), followed by the United States with 15% (37,285 URLs), and Slovakia with 31,826 reports. This marked a reduction from previous years, where the Netherlands had hosted 41% of such content in 2021.
The IWF, a UK-based registered charity specializing in minimizing the availability of online child sexual abuse material, actively traces URLs to physical server locations to facilitate swift removal of this content. In 2021 alone, the IWF removed a record-breaking 252,000 URLs containing images or videos of child sexual abuse, with 62% of these hosted on servers within EU member states.
In addition to its removal efforts, the IWF employs advanced tools to accurately grade and fingerprint child sexual abuse imagery and videos. These tools comply with child sexual abuse laws across multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Interpol standards. The organization collaborates extensively with partner hotlines and international bodies to ensure comprehensive removal across various platforms such as websites, forums, and image hosts.
The prevalence of child sexual abuse material hosted in Europe aligns with broader EU priorities aimed at combating online and offline child sexual abuse. The EU’s security union strategy for 2020–2025 highlights this as a critical focus area, and initiatives such as the establishment of an EU Centre to coordinate action between companies and Member State authorities are underway. The IWF has called on the European Commission to expedite legislation addressing the growing threat to children online, reinforcing the urgent need for coordinated and effective regulatory measures.
Finally, the severity of content identified and blocked by the IWF is reportedly worsening, with Category A web pages—those depicting the most severe abuse—doubling from 25,000 URLs in 2020 to over 51,000 in 2022. This underscores the continuing challenges faced in tackling this issue at both national and international levels.
Key Findings
In 2023, child sexual abuse (CSA) remained a rapidly growing problem globally, with over 1.3 million reports recorded in the European Union alone, encompassing more than 3.4 million images and videos of abuse. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) assessed 392,665 reports during this period and confirmed that 275,652 webpages contained images or videos depicting children suffering sexual abuse. Of particular concern, 92% of the identified imagery involved “self-generated” content, where children were coerced or groomed into recording sexual activity via webcams and camera-equipped devices.
The year 2023 was described as the “most extreme” on record for CSA imagery, with a 22% increase in the most severe Category A images—nearly one in seven images detected fell into this highest severity bracket. These trends highlight the intensifying nature of online exploitation and the evolving tactics used by offenders.
A significant proportion of CSA material continues to be hosted within the European Union, with nearly 60% of reports traced to servers in EU Member States in 2022. Europe remains the global hotspot for hosting such content despite a slight decline from 62% in 2021. Notably, the Netherlands emerged as the predominant host country, accounting for 32% of the reported CSA hosting servers, although this represented a decrease from 41% in the previous year. The Netherlands’ dominance is attributed to its robust internet infrastructure combined with affordable and accessible hosting services, factors exploited by offenders to disseminate abuse material.
This migration of hosting activity within Europe reflects a strategic shift by perpetrators who seek reliable, low-cost, and high-availability platforms to evade law enforcement takedowns. The dynamic nature of criminal websites—often relocating servers across countries—complicates efforts to remove harmful content promptly. Emerging trends also indicate that countries not traditionally associated with hosting CSA material, such as the Slovak Republic, are increasingly becoming involved, reflecting the widespread and transnational nature of the issue.
To combat this, the IWF and partner organizations emphasize the need for coordinated legislative and technological responses within the EU. Proposed measures include the establishment of an EU Centre dedicated to supporting collaboration among companies, Member State authorities, NGOs, and international bodies such as Europol and Interpol to facilitate swift content removal and victim protection. The collective effort aims to disrupt the infrastructure enabling CSA material distribution and provide a safer online environment for children worldwide.
Contributing Factors
One of the key factors contributing to the high prevalence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) linked to EU countries is the hosting infrastructure within certain Member States. The Netherlands, in particular, has become a notable target due to its robust internet infrastructure, which facilitates easy and reliable operation for internet companies, including those offering low-cost hosting services. This accessibility and affordability make it attractive for perpetrators seeking to store and disseminate illegal content.
Moreover, despite the critical nature of protecting children’s rights, child rights impact assessments are not systematically conducted across all national, regional, and local authorities within the EU. Only six Member States (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) have specific legal provisions mandating child rights impact assessments during the development of laws, policies, or administrative decisions affecting children directly or indirectly. This lack of comprehensive assessment may contribute to regulatory gaps that fail to adequately prevent the proliferation of CSAM.
The legislative framework itself has faced challenges in keeping pace with technological advances. Directive 2011/93/EU, the primary EU legislative instrument combating sexual abuse and exploitation of children, has shown limitations in addressing evolving digital threats. To address this, the European Commission submitted a proposal in February 2024 aimed at revising the directive to expand offence definitions, increase penalties, and impose more stringent requirements on prevention and victim assistance. Additionally, complementary regulations proposed since 2022 impose obligations on internet companies to detect, report, and remove CSAM from their platforms, aiming to enhance accountability and coordination.
Another contributing element is the reliance on interim regulatory measures to monitor online privacy and detect CSAM. The temporary derogation from the ePrivacy Directive allows certain communication services to voluntarily detect and report abuse material but is set to expire in August 2024. The pressure to adopt permanent rules highlights ongoing regulatory uncertainties that may impact enforcement consistency.
Finally, the majority of child sexual abuse imagery is linked to less visible parts of the internet, often hosted outside mainstream platforms and countries with strict regulations. However, the shift toward Europe hosting a larger proportion of this content underscores the need for improved hosting service oversight, as criminals prioritize speed, affordability, availability, and lax enforcement when choosing hosting providers. In 2022, nearly 59 percent of CSAM reports were traced back to hosting services within EU Member States, further evidencing the scale of this challenge.
Impact and Implications
The prevalence of child sexual abuse webpages linked to EU countries in 2024 has profound and multifaceted implications, both within the European Union and internationally. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) data reveal that the Netherlands alone hosts the highest number of reported child sexual abuse URLs globally, totaling 82,605 in 2022, surpassing other countries including the United States and Slovakia. This alarming statistic highlights the urgency of addressing the infrastructure and regulatory environment that allows such content to proliferate within EU member states.
The severity of the content found on these webpages is also increasing, with Category A material—which includes the most egregious forms of abuse such as rape of children, including babies and newborns, as well as acts involving bestiality and sadism—doubling from 25,000 URLs in 2020 to over 51,000 in 2022. This escalation underscores the critical need for enhanced detection, prevention, and removal strategies by internet service providers and platforms operating within and beyond EU borders.
Legislative responses at the EU level reflect the gravity of this issue. The European Commission has proposed revisions to Directive 2011/93/EU to expand the definitions of offences and increase penalties, alongside more specific obligations for prevention and victim assistance. These proposals are designed to modernize the EU’s legal framework in light of technological advances and emerging threats, including those posed by artificial intelligence, which complicate detection and enforcement efforts and require coordinated international action.
Despite these efforts, child rights impact assessments remain inconsistently applied across EU Member States, with only six countries mandating systematic assessments when developing laws and policies affecting children. This gap in policy implementation potentially hampers the effectiveness of legislative measures aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse online.
The coordination of actions between Member States and private sector actors is also evolving. The creation of an EU Centre to support companies and Member State authorities demonstrates a commitment to a more unified approach to combating online child sexual abuse. Meanwhile, the IWF continues to play a pivotal role in identifying and reporting abusive content, working closely with international networks such as INHOPE and law enforcement agencies to facilitate timely removals and prosecutions.
Controversies and Criticisms
The increasing prevalence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) hosted in European Union countries, particularly the Netherlands, has sparked significant controversy and criticism. A major point of concern is the shift in hosting patterns, with the Netherlands now identified as the global leader in the number of reported CSAM URLs, accounting for 32% of reports tracked to servers in 2022—a slight decrease from 41% in 2021. Critics argue that the strong internet infrastructure and low-cost hosting services in these countries inadvertently facilitate the storage and dissemination of such illegal content, raising questions about the adequacy of existing regulatory and enforcement mechanisms.
Another contentious issue relates to the balance between protecting children and preserving online privacy. According to a Flash Eurobarometer survey conducted across all 27 EU Member States, only 2% of respondents prioritize the right to online privacy over detecting child abuse, reflecting a public consensus favoring robust intervention measures. Nevertheless, the proposed legislative measures aiming to prevent, detect, and report child sexual abuse have faced criticism regarding their potential impact on fundamental rights, such as privacy and data protection. The European Commission emphasizes that its proposals are grounded in a sound legal framework designed to balance these concerns, yet debates continue around the implications for internet users’ privacy and the scope of surveillance required.
Furthermore, industry stakeholders and child protection advocates highlight the challenges posed by the “darker places” of the internet, where most CSAM is believed to be hosted, often on platforms and services outside mainstream awareness or regulation. The International Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported that the severity of child sexual abuse material has increased, with a doubling of the most severe category (Category A) URLs between 2020 and 2022. These developments have intensified calls for comprehensive government regulation to effectively curb the proliferation of such content online, as seen in legislative models from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Despite these efforts, critics argue that current measures may be insufficient or inconsistently applied, and the EU’s ongoing legislative process faces pressure to deliver effective solutions without compromising civil liberties. The situation underscores the complexity of combating child sexual abuse material in the digital age, involving technological, legal, and ethical challenges that remain highly debated across stakeholders.
Prevention and Mitigation Efforts
Efforts to prevent and mitigate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online within the European Union involve a combination of legislative measures, coordinated action by authorities and industry, as well as proactive content removal initiatives. One of the key legislative frameworks in this area is Directive 2011/93/EU, which addresses the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography. However, technological advances since its inception have revealed limitations in the directive, prompting the European Commission to propose a revision in February 2024 to better align with current challenges.
In response to the persistent presence of CSAM online, the European Commission introduced an interim regulation in 2021 permitting number-independent
Comparative Statistics and Trends
The hosting of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) continues to be a critical issue globally, with a significant concentration of such content linked to European countries. In 2024, over 60% of all known CSAM webpages were traced back to European nations, reflecting a persistent trend from previous years. Notably, the Netherlands remains the largest host worldwide, accounting for 32% of reported CSAM URLs in 2024, though this represents a decrease from 41% in 2021.
The United States and Slovakia follow as the next largest hosts, with 15% (37,285 reports) and a substantial number of reports (31,826) respectively, yet the dominance of European hosting remains clear. This concentration is largely attributed to the Netherlands’ robust internet infrastructure and the presence of low-cost hosting services, making it an attractive location for hosting illicit content.
Recent data indicate a disturbing escalation in both the volume and severity of CSAM. Between 2020 and 2022, Category A webpages—which represent the most extreme forms of abuse—doubled from 25,000 to over 51,000 URLs. Furthermore, new reports from 2024 reveal a 26% increase in CSAM hosted across the European Union compared to the previous year, with the most severe material rising by 54%.
Emerging trends also highlight the growing prevalence of AI-generated CSAM. A 2024 Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) investigation uncovered 3,512 AI-created images and videos over a 30-day period on a dark web forum, marking a 17% increase since late 2023. This development signals evolving challenges in detection and removal efforts.
The IWF and industry experts emphasize the urgency of enhanced risk management processes and legislative action to address these escalating threats. They stress the importance of using comprehensive data sets to detect and block such content, especially given the worsening severity and expanding volume of CSAM globally.
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