Full Breakdown
Project Intercept Sends 70 Million CSAM Warnings, 700,000 Reach Support
5/16/2026, 11:23:40 AM
Project Intercept's Warning Campaign
In the past two years, more than 70 million warning messages have been sent to individuals attempting to access child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The messages are delivered through Project Intercept, external, a collaboration between the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and technology firms Google, TikTok and Meta. Rather than blocking content outright, the messages inform users that viewing CSAM is illegal and direct them to the foundation's Stop It Now support services. They are triggered when a user attempts to access CSAM, delivering the reminder at that point.
Background and Context
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a child-protection charity that operates the Stop It Now service, offering confidential advice and self-help tools for individuals who have viewed or are considering viewing CSAM. Project Intercept, external, was created to intervene at attempted access, using warning messages as a behavioural-change tool rather than relying solely on content removal. The initiative reflects a shift from purely technical blocking toward an educational response that seeks to change behaviour, combining legal deterrence with support resources.
Key Participants
The partnership behind Project Intercept, external includes four named entities. Lucy Faithfull Foundation leads the child-protection component and supplies the Stop It Now resources. Google, TikTok and Meta contribute technical capabilities that enable detection of CSAM-related searches and delivery of warning messages to users. Each firm’s involvement is limited to the messaging function described in the initiative.
Data and Statistics
Over a two-year period, Project Intercept, external generated more than 70 million warning messages aimed at users attempting to view CSAM. The 70 million messages correspond to roughly 96,000 warnings per day across the two-year span. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation reports that about 700,000 of those users subsequently accessed its Stop It Now resources, which provide confidential advice and self-help tools. The conversion rate is about one in one hundred.
Official Statements and Responses
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation said the partnership’s messaging approach highlights the illegality of viewing CSAM and directs users to support services aimed at changing behaviour. It reported that nearly 700,000 people accessed the Stop It Now resources. The foundation added that the approach is intended to intervene before illegal content is consumed, offering an immediate pathway to help.
Criticism and Opposition
Some experts have described the figure of 700,000 resource accesses as “disappointingly low,” suggesting that most users who receive warnings do not engage with the offered support services. The low uptake raises questions about the warning strategy’s overall efficacy. The criticism notes a gap between the campaign’s scale and its effectiveness in prompting behavioural change.
Verbatim Quotes
“Rather than simply blocking content, the messages highlight the illegality of viewing CSAM and direct users to support services aimed at changing behaviour.” — Lucy Faithfull Foundation
