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Livestreamed Child Sexual Abuse
Parliamentary Report Highlights Urgent Need for Action
Parliamentary Report Highlights Urgent Need for Action
A new Parliamentary research briefing has highlighted the scale and complexity of livestreamed child sexual abuse, warning that existing detection technologies can struggle to identify abuse taking place in real time or through private and encrypted communications.
A new report from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has highlighted the growing challenges posed by livestreamed child sexual abuse and online child sexual exploitation.
Published on 11 August 2026, Livestreamed child sexual abuse: Scale, detection and how it can be disrupted examines the scale of livestreamed abuse in the UK and internationally, the technology being used to detect it, and the regulatory approaches that could help disrupt it.
The briefing warns that livestreaming technology can enable people to watch and, in some cases, direct the sexual abuse of children in real time. It also highlights how offenders can use online platforms to manipulate children into generating sexual abuse material themselves.
A hidden form of child sexual exploitation
One of the significant challenges identified by POST is that livestreamed abuse may leave little or no conventional digital evidence.
Unlike abuse material that is stored as a video or image, a livestream may not leave a file behind unless it is deliberately recorded. Abuse can also take place through private or encrypted communications, making it harder for technology companies and law enforcement to identify.
This creates a significant challenge for those working to prevent online child sexual exploitation and protect children from abuse.
Technologies used to detect stored child sexual abuse material (CSAM) may therefore be less effective for livestreamed abuse.
Livestreamed child sexual abuse: Scale, detection and how it can be disruptedEvidence of UK Demand
Although POST notes that evidence about the overall scale of livestreamed child sexual abuse remains limited, the available evidence indicates significant UK demand.
The briefing highlights research suggesting that 1 in 71 men in the UK – equivalent to 1.4% – have ever “webcammed a child in a sexual way”. It also identifies the UK as a significant demand country in relation to livestreamed child sexual abuse originating overseas.
These findings underline that online child sexual exploitation is not something happening somewhere else. Children can be targeted by offenders across borders, while technology allows perpetrators to exploit distance and anonymity.
Technology is Both Part of the Problem and Part of the Solution
The report highlights the limitations of current approaches to detecting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Hash-matching technology can identify known abuse material, while AI classifiers can help identify previously unseen material. However, these approaches are less effective when abuse is livestreamed, never stored, or takes place through private or encrypted one-to-one communications.
POST also highlights the potential role of financial information in identifying offenders. Payments associated with livestreamed abuse can leave financial records, even where the abuse itself leaves little technical evidence.
The report therefore points towards the importance of collaboration between law enforcement, technology companies and financial institutions to identify and prosecute offenders.
Stronger Online Safety Measures Needed
The briefing also considers the role of regulation, including the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023.
While the Act covers user-to-user communications including social media, messaging services, gaming communications and livestreams, POST highlights particular challenges where abuse takes place through private or encrypted services.
The report notes that Ofcom has powers under Section 121 of the Online Safety Act to require an online service provider to use specific technology to tackle child sexual abuse material in private communications where it determines that this is necessary and proportionate. However, there are a number of steps that must be taken before those powers can be exercised.
Prevention Must Remain at the Heart of Child Protection
For organisations working to prevent sexual abuse and support survivors, the findings reinforce the importance of early intervention, education and prevention alongside technological and regulatory solutions.
Children and young people are growing up in an increasingly digital world. Understanding online risks, recognising harmful behaviours and knowing where to seek help are essential elements of keeping children safer.
At Safeline, we believe prevention must begin early. Through our Prevention and Early Intervention work, we support children and young people to understand healthy relationships, consent, boundaries, online safety and harmful sexual behaviours, while helping schools and professionals respond when concerns arise.
Technology will continue to evolve. Our approach to prevention and protection must evolve with it.
The POST briefing makes clear that tackling livestreamed child sexual abuse requires action across multiple fronts – from better detection technology and stronger regulation to international cooperation, financial disruption, law enforcement and, crucially, preventing abuse before it happens.
Safeline's Response
The scale and complexity of online child sexual exploitation can feel overwhelming, but it is important that children, young people and adults know that support is available.
Safeline provides specialist support for people affected by sexual abuse and works to prevent sexual abuse through education, training and early intervention.
If you are concerned about a child or young person’s safety, or if you have been affected by sexual abuse, support is available.
Together, we can work towards a future where every child is safer from sexual abuse – online and offline.