'It is utterly indefensible' - NSPCC demands tech to block child abuse images after Staffordshire sees increase in offences
Children's charity the NSPCC has called for tech companies to introduce technology that can automatically block child sexual abuse imagery after thousands of offences were recorded in the West Midlands - with one local force seeing an increase on the previous year.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the NSPCC revealed 36,829 offences recorded by 42 out of the 45 national police forces who responded between April 2024 and March 2025 - a 9% increase on the previous tax year (2023/24).
1,892 (5%) recorded by forces in the West Midlands - including Staffordshire Police, Warwickshire Police, West Mercia Police and West Midlands Police.
In the West Midlands region, child abuse image offences across the West Midlands region decreased by 14% between 2023/24 and 2024/25 (3,672 down to 3,154) - with notable reductions in West Midlands (1,846 to 1,448, -21%) and West Mercia (937 to 770, -18%).
However, Staffordshire was the only area to see an increase as cases rose by 18% (375 to 444).
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Nationally, 10,811 of these crimes where law enforcement recorded the platform used by perpetrators, 43% took place on Snapchat alone – a total of 4,615.
Meta platforms still accounted for almost a quarter of all offences (24%), with 8% on Instagram, 7% on WhatsApp, 5% on Facebook and 4% on Messenger.
However, the figures in relation to these platforms only paint part of the picture, as end-to-end-encryption (E2EE) means the scale of abuse children are experiencing online is hidden – preventing detection and leading to under-reporting on these platforms.
Now, children's charity NSPCC have called upon tech companies to improve their safety features by automatically blocking child sexual abuse images in real-time.
Chris Sherwood, CEO at the NSPCC, said: "It is utterly indefensible that we are still seeing around 100 child sexual abuse image offences recorded every single day. “Children across the UK are being completely failed by tech companies that should be protecting them online. We cannot keep letting them off the hook when they can do more to prevent this from happening in the first place.
“Behind every one of these offences is a child who has been groomed, abused and manipulated. They are left to carry the trauma, whilst tech companies continue to profit handsomely.
"Technology already exists that could be deployed today to stop children from taking, sharing or receiving nude images. So, the real question is: what’s stopping them? If they continue to drag their feet, Government must show their might by stepping in and compelling them to act."
