There was a big increase last year in the levels of "self-generated" child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appearing online, according to the annual report of the Irish Internet Hotline (IIH).
These are images or videos that children appeared to have taken themselves.
The IIH said the term "self-generated" does not imply consent, intent, blame or awareness of the consequences, and is used by analysts to describe the apparent origin of the material, not the circumstances under which it was created.
It added that there was a 166% increase in cases of self-generated child sexual abuse material in 2024.
The centre analysed 11,505 cases of self-generated CSAM, up from 4,322 in 2023, making it the fastest-growing form of CSAM and now accounting for 25.6% of all CSAM reports.
In these cases, 92% of victims depicted were girls.
The centre said that forums are the dominant distribution channel making removal more complex and urgent.
The Irish Internet Hotline is Ireland's national reporting centre where members of the public can report suspected illegal and harmful online content in a secure and anonymous way, particularly child sexual abuse material.
Overall, in 2024, the IIH received 53,411 reports, representing a 32% year-on-year increase.
Of these reports, 85% were found to relate to illegal material, primarily CSAM.
The report reveals a 97% overall removal rate, and a 99.6% removal rate for confirmed CSAM.
Financial scams targeting Irish residents increased by 51%, leading to 134 fraudulent websites being identified, 79% of which were removed.
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Intimate image abuse reports saw a decline which the IIH said suggested the early impact of deterrent campaigns.
There was a 91% removal rate for confirmed cases of intimate image abuse.
The centre said that racism and xenophobia online remain concerning, with 908 reports received in 2024.
"The online realities reflect the society we live in, and we must face the troubling parts of that in a systematic and collaborative way," Irish Internet Hotline CEO Mick Moran said.
"There is no silver bullet, no panacea, just hard, and sometimes gruelling work," Mr Moran said.
In his foreword in the annual report, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan acknowledged the work carried out by the IIH.
"It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the figures, but crucial to recognise that behind these statistics are real people - and often children - who have suffered harm and have been victimised," Mr O'Callaghan said.
