DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED

Understanding AI CSAM, Online Harms, and the Impact of Social Media

The NWG recently observed over 60 MACE’s and identified a recurring challenge: a limited understanding among practitioners regarding the context of  children’s and young people’s online and social media world  and how this impacts assessments and safety planning.

In 2023, deepfake-related abuse has increased by 400% since 2017, with over 99% of these actions targeting women and girls. Child safety experts caution that the use of AI by predators to produce vast quantities of sexually explicit images of children is surpassing law enforcement’s capacity to identify and save actual victims.

In April 2025, Ofcom introduced new regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of children online. Social media platforms and other internet services will be mandated to prevent children’s access to harmful content. These guidelines applicable to websites and apps accessed by children, including social media, search engines, and gaming platforms. According to these guidelines, the most ‘high-risk’ services are required to implement ‘highly effective’ age verification methods to identify users under 18; algorithms that suggest content must exclude harmful material; all platforms must establish protocols for the rapid removal of dangerous content; and children must have a “straightforward” way to report content.

This webinar will provide an invaluable opportunity for delegates to learn about the new legislation in this area and discuss further ways to tackle and disrupt online harm to children and consider what more could be done. Delegates will also explore methods to raise awareness of the harms of such abuse and develop strategies to effect assessment and safety planning.

AGENDA:

• 10:00 – 10:15 – NWG welcome, introduction and overview
• 10:15 – 10.55 – Speaker 1 Mark, Senior Internet Content Analyst at The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
• 10.55 – 11.35 – Speaker 2 Lawrence Jordan is the Deputy CEO of the Maire Collins Foundation.
• 11.35 – 11.50 – Break
• 11.50 – 12.25 – Speaker 3 TBC 
• 12.25 – 12.55 – Panel Q and A
• 12:55 – 13:00 – Thanks and Close

Learning outcomes and objectives:

1.  Understand the nature of AI CSAM and its convergence with online harms on social media.
2. Gain clarity on recent UK legislation including the Online Safety Act 2023 and Crime and Policing Act 2025 tackling online harms.
3. Recognise the specific harms, illegality, and consequences related to online harm for children. Emphasise the dynamic nature of online threats and the need for professionals to stay informed and equipped.
4. Exchange views to tackle the rise and spread of AI-CSAM and how social media platforms or apps can be made to do more.
5. Address the challenges of protecting children particularly vulnerable to Online Harm and develop strategies for improving multi-agency cooperation around protecting vulnerable children through assessments and safety planning.
6. Discover available resources and understand the implications for victims.

Target Audience:

Professionals and Practitioners (including Staff in Educational settings, social workers, healthcare providers, Criminal Justice workers, safeguarding leads,  youth workers, online safety professionals, Local Safeguarding Children Boards

Baroness Casey Audit quote:

The nature of child sexual abuse in general has been changed by the growth of online sexual abuse offending which now accounts for 40% of all sexual abuse crime. This has altered the age profile of offenders and to an extent the gender profile too, making it harder to see the profile of both perpetrators and victims of group-based child sexual exploitation. (National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB June 2025)