The number of child sexual abuse images appearing on the internet has reached epidemic levels, according to UK charity Internet Watch Foundation.
A record number of the child exploitation images on the open web were reported to the IWF in 2019.
More than 260,000 reports of people spotting child sexual abuse imagery online were reported to the IWF last year.
This is a 14% increase on the number of reports made in 2018.
Andy Burrows, head of Child Safety Online at the NSPCC told us: “This disturbing increase underlines the growing scale of the problem of online abuse imagery. We must see the emphasis broaden from a focus on taking down illegal material to one where social networks and gaming sites are doing much more to disrupt abuse in the first place.”
He added: “This is only possible with regulation and is why Boris Johnson must prioritize putting an independent regulator in place who can hold social networks to account.”
Of the reports made in 2019, 132,000 showed images or videos of children being sexually abused.
Each report contains at least one but sometimes thousands of child sexual exploitation images.
The IWF says that the reports it receives “equates to millions of images and videos”.
According to Sky News, its chief executive Susie Hargreaves OBE said it was “really shocking… that it’s all available on the open internet, or ‘clear web’.”
She added: “That’s the everyday internet that we all use to do our shopping, search for information, and obtain our news.
“Obviously, we know there’s child sexual abuse content on the dark web but right now it’s really a case of saying we’ve got to get a grip on the epidemic on our open internet, and now is the time to do it.”
IWF has said that the charity’s analysts investigated everything that was reported to them.
However, some of the reports did not lead to child abuse material and false reports cost the charity $196,776 in 2018.
Former UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid vowed last year that the government would do more to stop online child abuse.
The British government then proposed creating a new regulator which would fine web companies if they were found to not be protecting their users.
It was also suggested that offending websites could be blocked from being accessed in the UK.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Child sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime and predators who share or view indecent images of children are complicit in this horrific abuse and can expect the full weight of the law to come down on them.
“We’re bringing forward ground-breaking legislation to protect the public from online harms, including children and the most vulnerable users and make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.”
Hargreaves added: “Child sexual abuse is an horrific topic for people to talk about, but as a society we have got to take on board a heavy dose of reality and face up to what’s right in front of us.
“IWF is a uniquely-placed service working to improve the internet for people across the world. Our partnerships with police and technology companies are essential to stop this abuse happening.
“Whilst we’re investing in the right technology and staff to battle this online epidemic, it is still really shocking to see the number of reports going up.”
If you wish to make a report you can access the IWF’s new reporting page anonymously here.