Brando Benifei· S&D

Unverifiable

In the last year, 312,000 images of child sexual abuse have been certified, the highest number ever, also due to artificial intelligence systems.

Omissions

• The MEP does not cite a specific source for the 312,000 figure
• The claim does not specify which EU authority or organization is responsible for certifying these images (likely refers to the Internet Watch Foundation or national hotlines)
• No context on how AI systems contribute to the increase in certified images

Sources

• PrimaryEuropol - Stop Child Abuse - Trace an ObjectEuropol's program to identify objects from child sexual abuse images - does not provide statistics on certified images
• SecondaryInternet Watch Foundation - IWF Warns of Surge in Child Sexual Abuse Imagery Hosted in EU62% of child sexual abuse webpages in 2024 were EU-hosted - refers to hosting location, not certified images
• SecondaryChild Light - 2025 Into the Light Index on Global Child Sexual ExploitationReport on global child sexual exploitation levels in Western Europe - no specific figure on certified images found