IWF Awareness Day 2009::
Today, (Wednesday 14 October 2009) is the third Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) Awareness Day, and eModeration (a founder supporter of the IWF) is marking the event by helping to publicise their crucial work.
More people than ever are using its Hotline to report potentially illegal content on the internet and the UK is leading the way in removing child sexual abuse images.
Did you know that:
- IWF research shows nearly 1 in 20 UK adult internet users (or 1.5 million people) say they have been exposed to child sexual abuse images
- This research also indicates that over three quarters of those UK adult internet users who say they have stumbled across child sexual abuse images are unsure how to report them
- The majority of online child sexual abuse images identified by the IWF depict the most severe levels of sexual abuse - the abuse of child victims under 10 years old - and are made available on pay-per-view commercial websites
- It is extremely rare to trace child sexual abuse content to the UK
- Internet users should not deliberately seek out child sexual abuse images in order to report to the IWF
Despite receiving over 27,000 reports (a 5% increase on the same period last year) only one in five (5742) were confirmed by the IWF as images of child sexual abuse. This figure has been falling for three years suggesting a decrease in the availability of this content. Almost all of these images (over 99%) were traced to servers outside the UK. In these circumstances, the IWF acts immediately to inform our partner Hotline and law enforcement agencies in the relevant country to get the images removed and those responsible investigated.
As a result of consistent efforts by the IWF and the internet industry, it is now extremely rare for child sexual abuse images to be on UK websites. When they are, the IWF works in partnership with the hosting provider and the police to have them removed. During the first three quarters of this year, the IWF has issued 25 notices to companies in the UK about the abuse of their networks for the distribution of these images. Each notice was quickly complied with and every identified instance of online child sexual abuse content in the UK was removed within a day of notification.
Eve Salomon, IWF Chair, said: “With the help of our Hotline, the UK has an excellent record in eradicating child sexual abuse images on the internet in partnership with 35 other Hotlines around the world and with the support of our 100 industry members. These websites are reducing in number globally and where they are sited in the UK, they are removed extremely quickly.
“If you stumble across child sexual abuse images, it’s crucial you report it to us. We are focussed on the swift removal of these images and helping the international effort to bring those responsible to justice and rescue children from sexual exploitation. Your reports to our Hotline really do make a difference.”
IWF Awareness Day is supported by many of the organisation’s 100 member companies and partners who unite to help publicise the UK Hotline and the importance of the IWF’s work. In 2008, Awareness Day led to increased reporting to the Hotline and an 18% increase in awareness of the IWF amongst UK internet users. The IWF hopes to increase that this year.
To report a website or for more information the about IWF, please visit www.iwf.org.uk.
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About the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
The IWF was established in 1996 by the UK internet industry to provide the UK internet Hotline for the public and IT professionals to report potentially illegal online content within our remit and to be the 'notice and take-down' body for this content. We work in partnership with the online industry, law enforcement, government, the education sector, charities, international partners and the public to minimise the availability of this content, specifically, child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world and criminally obscene and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK.
We are an independent self-regulatory body, funded by the EU and the wider online industry, including internet service providers, mobile operators and manufacturers, content service providers, filtering companies, search providers, trade associations and the financial sector.
We work with UK government to influence initiatives developed to combat online abuse and this dialogue goes beyond the UK and Europe to ensure greater awareness of global issues, trends and responsibilities. We work internationally with INHOPE and other relevant authorities and organisations to encourage wider adoption of good practice in combating online child sexual abuse content and to promote inclusive and united global responses to this dynamic, cross-border criminality.
Please note that "child pornography", "child porn" and "kiddie porn" are not acceptable terms. The use of such language acts to legitimise images which are not pornography, rather, they are permanent records of children being sexually abused and as such should be referred to as child sexual abuse images.
If you'd like to know more about the work of the IWF, please contact Sarah Robertson, IWF, 01223 237700, 07929 553679, sarah@iwf.org.uk