70 Million Warnings Issued on Child Abuse Searches

Why this is here: Nearly 700,000 people clicked through Project Intercept’s warnings to receive support resources after being alerted about their searches.

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation and tech companies sent over 70 million warnings to people in 131 countries attempting to access child sexual abuse material online. Project Intercept, established in 2022, triggers messages when users search for related terms or click reported links.

These messages redirect users to self-help resources like Stop It Now, aiming to prevent access to harmful content and offer support. Roughly 28,000 users per month in 2024 and 2025 clicked through to these resources via platforms including TikTok and Google. One user, identified as Ben, reported the resources helped him stop viewing adult content after two months.

The foundation notes the increasing threat of AI technologies accelerating the spread of online abuse. While the project has shown initial success, it still requires expansion to more online spaces and ongoing collaboration with tech companies to effectively disrupt harmful behavior.