London: More than 70 million warning messages have been issued to individuals attempting to access child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online over the past two years, according to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the alerts are part of Project Intercept, a joint initiative between the UK-based child protection charity and technology companies including Google, TikTok, and Meta. Instead of simply blocking access, the system sends messages highlighting the illegality of viewing CSAM and directs users to support services designed to help change harmful behavior.
The foundation stated that nearly 700,000 people subsequently accessed its Stop It Now resources, which provide confidential guidance and self-help tools. However, experts express concern over the figure being relatively low compared to the scale of warnings issued. Professor Sonia Livingstone noted the gap, stating that only a small fraction of people click through to get support despite the large number of warnings sent.
She added that those who do seek help often engage meaningfully with the available resources. Project Intercept operates in 131 countries and covers a range of online platforms, including encrypted services and AI chatbot systems. The foundation did not disclose how many individuals were responsible for the searches, but reported that around 28,000 users per month were redirected to support services in 2024 and 2025, with a majority continuing to engage with the content.
Deborah Denis, chief executive of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, emphasized that the approach helps intervene at the point of risk. She mentioned that by placing warnings at the moment harmful behavior is happening, the initiative can disrupt it and divert people towards help to change, suggesting the model could be expanded further.
The UK's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) stated that such interventions can help disrupt harmful behavior but must be part of broader efforts to prevent illegal content from being created and shared. Emma Hardy, communications director at the Internet Watch Foundation, called for stronger measures, particularly on encrypted platforms, to prevent the distribution of child sexual abuse imagery and exploitation.
The UK communications regulator Ofcom noted that such warning messages align with expectations under the Online Safety Act, adding that the data reflects both progress and the continued scale of the problem. Tech firms involved in the initiative indicated that the approach complements existing content moderation systems. Google product manager Griffin Hunt reported that changes introduced in early 2025 increased engagement with support services and reduced repeat searches for illegal material. Meanwhile, Mega, a cloud storage company involved in the project, highlighted that the initiative demonstrates even encrypted platforms can take early action to address harmful online behavior.