Press Release - New Global Scientific Assessment Finds Gaps and Opportunities in Addressing Online Child Sexual Abuse

February 16, 2026 - Zurich, Switzerland - A landmark review of evidence finds clear gaps in how countries address technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and reveals new opportunities for action. The scientific assessment, Detecting, Deterring, Investigating, and Prosecuting Technology-Facilitated Child Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review, published by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE), systematically examines over one hundred sources of evidence, from researchers around the world, published over a 10-year period.

With the impending release of Molly vs. the Machines documentary and growing global awareness of technology-facilitated exploitation, there is an urgent need for evidence about the best ways to address online child sexual abuse.

Although the harms are well established, governments and frontline agencies do not have a strong, shared evidence base to guide prevention, investigation, and prosecution across national borders.

This latest scientific assessment from the IPIE's Scientific Panel on Child Protection and Social Media—conducted using the PRISMA protocol—maps current responses and identifies weaknesses at every stage of offending, from online grooming to the financial and technical systems that enable the production and distribution of abuse material. It is the most comprehensive assessment to date and reveals areas of opportunity for dealing with technology-enabled child sexual exploitation.

The Scientific Panel on Child Protection and Social Media launched in New York City at the UN Secretary General's Summit of the Future in September 2024.

Dr. Selcan Kaynak, Chair of the Panel, said:

This review shows that while technological responses are advancing, they are not keeping pace with the evolving ecosystem of abuse. We urgently need coordinated, evidence-based action that addresses all points of the offending chain - from detection to disruption to prosecution, both online and offline.

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Artificial intelligence tools show promise for society, but remain unreliable. Their performance varies widely, reflecting uneven data quality and limited access to the sensitive evidence needed to test systems safely and responsibly.

This systematic review covers a significant evidence base about which interventions work. Among the important findings:

• Legal frameworks help, but enforcement is inconsistent across borders. While some national and regional laws have improved transparency among technology companies, uneven application limits their overall impact.
• Education and awareness can reduce harm, but they cannot carry the burden alone. Behavior-focused interventions show potential, yet they must not be used to shift responsibility away from technology providers.
• Financial systems are the most underused leverage point against technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse. Few interventions disrupt payment platforms from financing abuse, focusing instead on tracing transactions after harm occurs.

Dr. Kruakae Pothong, Consulting Scientist for the Child Protection and Social Media Panel, adds:

We see clear opportunities to strengthen interventions—particularly through leveraging AI responsibly and harmonizing regulatory approaches across countries. However, without standardized transparency, robust data controls, and legislative protections, effective multi-agency and cross-border collaboration will remain fragmented. Children deserve better. 

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Together, these findings point to an urgent need for coordinated, evidence-based, and internationally aligned action to reduce the global scale and impact of child sexual exploitation and abuse facilitated through digital technologies.

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ENDS

Further details about the IPIE can be found at www.IPIE.info.

For media inquiries, interviews or more information, please contact Press@IPIE.info.

The IPIE will provide a virtual briefing on February 23, 2026, at 11:00 CET, on the findings. Please click here to register.

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About the IPIE

The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) is an independent and global science organization providing scientific knowledge about the health of the world's information environment. Based in Switzerland, the IPIE offers policymakers, industry, and civil society actionable scientific assessments about threats to the information environment. The IPIE is the only scientific body systematically organizing, evaluating, and elevating research with the broad aim of improving the global information environment. Hundreds of researchers worldwide contribute to the IPIE's reports.