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.
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 behaviour.
The foundation said nearly 700,000 people subsequently accessed its Stop It Now resources, which provide confidential guidance and self-help tools. However, experts say the figure remains relatively low compared to the scale of warnings issued.
Professor Sonia Livingstone said the gap was concerning.
“Given that 70 million warning messages have been sent, the fact that only 700,000 people click through to get support seems low. This is disappointing, given that the scale of the problem of child sexual abuse imagery online is growing fast,” she said.
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.
However, it said around 28,000 users per month were redirected to support services in 2024 and 2025, with more than four in five continuing to engage with the content.
Deborah Denis, chief executive of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, said the approach helps intervene at the point of risk.
“By placing warnings at the moment harmful behaviour is happening, we can disrupt it and divert people towards help to change,” she said, adding that the model could be expanded further.
The UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said such interventions can help disrupt harmful behaviour 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, said stronger measures were needed, including on encrypted platforms.
“As it is, it is simply too easy to share and distribute child sexual abuse imagery online, and for children to become trapped in cycles of exploitation,” she said.
“Safety by design needs to be a guiding principle and new products and platforms must be built to make sure there is nowhere for this sort of behaviour to hide.”
The UK communications regulator Ofcom said 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 said the approach complements existing content moderation systems.
Google product manager Griffin Hunt said changes introduced in early 2025 had increased engagement with support services and reduced repeat searches for illegal material.
Meanwhile, Mega, a cloud storage company involved in the project, said the initiative demonstrates that even encrypted platforms can take early action to address harmful online behaviour.