In 2025, SWGfL marked one of the most important years in its history. What began as a regional broadband provider twenty-five years ago has transformed into an organisation recognised across the world for shaping policy, delivering helpline support, and pioneering tools that protect people online. This anniversary year offered not only a moment to reflect on the journey so far, but an opportunity to demonstrate the scale of impact SWGfL continues to have across the online safety landscape.
25 Years of SWGfL
Throughout 2025, SWGfL celebrated its 25th anniversary with a campaign that explored our roots, evolution and the many people who have contributed towards our mission. We highlighted how SWGfL grew from a broadband provider into one of the leading online safety charities. Our services, tools and research now reach millions, from schools navigating new safeguarding challenges to global organisations shaping online policy and of course individuals who need support in tackling online harms.
The celebrations culminated in October with a special anniversary event held at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. Partners, supporters, colleagues past and present, and leading voices in the online safety space came together to reflect on a quarter-century of rich history. The event also included the presentation of awards recognising individuals and organisations who have delivered significant impact. It was both a tribute to our past and a powerful reminder of the enduring need for this type of work.
Record Engagement for Safer Internet Day
One of the standout achievements of 2025 came early in the year when SWGfL, as part of the UK Safer Internet Centre, helped lead a record-breaking Safer Internet Day. The campaign reached more children and families than ever before, with more than half of young people aged 8–17 in the UK hearing about the event. Parents and carers also engaged in unprecedented numbers, demonstrating a growing public awareness of the importance of staying safe online.
The 2025 theme focused on scams. Schools downloaded thousands of resources, we trended on social media, and teachers and families reported deep, meaningful conversations taking place around trust, risk, and resilience online.
New Insights Into Online Safety in Schools
SWGfL’s 2025 research provided an important snapshot of the state of online safety in England’s schools. We released a detailed analysis showing that many institutions were making steady, measurable progress, particularly in areas such as filtering, monitoring and the formal adoption of safety policies. However, the report also highlighted persistent gaps relating to training for staff, involvement from leadership and governors, and the integration of broader wellbeing support into digital safeguarding practices.
This research not only informed schools but also shaped national discussion on how to prepare learning environments for emerging digital risks. It reinforced the value of long-standing SWGfL tools such as 360 Degree Safe, which continued in 2025 to help thousands of schools assess and strengthen their online safety provision.
To support our portfolio of advice and guidance for schools, we also released our latest hub informing schools on how to support students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with online safety.
Supporting Educators with ProjectEVOLVE Safeguarding
While global digital harms made headlines, SWGfL also focused on strengthening online safety education. In March, we expanded the ProjectEVOLVE suite with ProjectEVOLVE Safeguarding, a comprehensive toolkit designed to bolster schools’ capacity to prevent and respond to safeguarding concerns.
This platform equips educators with training modules, incident response guidance, knowledge maps, certification and progress-tracking tools. In a context where online risks are constantly shifting, the toolkit helps staff develop structured, confident approaches to safeguarding, enhancing education across school communities.
Driving Global Action Against Intimate Image Abuse
One of the most ambitious and high-profile moments of 2025 was SWGfL’s leadership of two Global Summits Against Intimate Image Abuse in New York and London. Hosted at Google’s UK headquarters and Microsoft, the Summits convened policymakers, regulators, tech leaders, law enforcement officials and survivor advocates for intensive dialogue on translating policy commitments into concrete protections.
Speakers underscored that while legal frameworks (such as the U.S. Take It Down Act and Ofcom’s Online Safety Act) offer progress, enforcement remains uneven and cross-border challenges persist. Survivor testimony brought a powerful human context to the discussions, reminding participants that measurable impact must always begin with lived experience.
The summits defined how global alignment, shared standards, and survivor-centred design are indispensable if intimate image abuse is to be tackled effectively at scale.
10 Years of the Revenge Porn Helpline
2025 also marked ten years since the launch of the Revenge Porn Helpline, a service that SWGfL established to support adults (particularly women) affected by intimate image abuse. In that decade, the helpline has grown from a part-time operation, handling a small number of reports, to a critical lifeline fielding tens of thousands of cases annually.
The anniversary reflection highlighted how far public awareness and legislative action have come. When the helpline began in 2015, intimate image abuse was poorly understood and rarely taken seriously. Today, thanks in part to ongoing advocacy and high-profile media coverage, the issue is now a globally recognised form of harm, though significant gaps remain. Central to our campaigning is the continued push for NCII to be treated with the same legal seriousness as child sexual abuse material (CSAM): not only criminalising the act but also ensuring content removal and accountability for possession and distribution.
In November, the quality of this work was formally recognised when the Revenge Porn Helpline was named Helpline of the Year at the Helpline Partnership Awards. The accolade honoured the team’s dedication, specialist knowledge and remarkable success in helping thousands of people every year who face one of the most distressing online threats.
The Global Clearing Centre
To coincide with our work around intimate image abuse we launched the Global Clearing Centre pilot project. Developed in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), this initiative aims to boost global capacity to identify and remove intimate image abuse content more consistently and effectively.
The project brings NGOs from around the world into a shared framework that includes training, technical support and access to shared best practice, particularly around the StopNCII.org tool. This coordinated hub seeks to empower organisations in countries with varied legal environments and technological capacity to respond swiftly to abuse, using tools like hash matching and collaborative workflows.
By equipping local partners with shared standards and infrastructure, SWGfL’s vision for the Global Clearing Centre reflects a shift from isolated action toward a joined-up global ecosystem of protection, where NGOs, platforms, technology and government operate as a collective force.
A Growing International Voice
During the year, we contributed to major international policy discussions, most notably through our participation at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the European Parliament, the Western Balkans Summit, and the Gender Equality Forum. SWGfL specialists spoke on panels, led conversations around intimate image abuse and survivor-centred approaches, and helped shape understanding of online harms in diverse international contexts.
This global reach was strengthened by the news that SWGfL had been granted special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a recognition that opens new avenues for collaboration and influence at the highest levels of international policymaking.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As SWGfL moves into 2026, the achievements of 2025 serve not as a conclusion but as a foundation for what comes next. The past year reinforced the organisation’s role as both a trusted support provider towards online harm and a strategic leader shaping policy, education and global collaboration.
With digital risks continuing to evolve in scale and complexity, SWGfL will build on its research, tools and international partnerships to drive more consistent protections, stronger safeguarding practice in schools, and more effective responses to abuse across borders.
David Wright CBE CEO of SWGfL said: ‘’SWGfL will continue our commitment towards not just protecting people but shaping the frameworks and connections that will work towards making our online spaces safer.
The journey ahead remains challenging, but 2025 proved that progress is possible when strategy, evidence, advocacy and partners converge together. With these foundations in place, SWGfL moves into 2026 ready to extend impact and further our mission of ensuring everyone can benefit from technology free from harm.’’
