Internet Watch Foundation

 

1        Introduction

1.1 Turn round times for reports have not been reviewed or amended since the year 2000.

 

1.2 In the subsequent five years a number of improvements have been made to the report management system (RMS) and these have significantly improved Hotline efficiency.  These improvements have included an online reporting system which inputs directly to the RMS and a built in search facility which identifies reports which have been previously actioned. The new RMSII that has been commissioned this financial year will further improve Hotline efficiency.

 

1.3 The hugely successful implementation of newsgroup policies has had a significant impact on preserving hotline resources as it is no longer necessary to issue individual notices for individual images that were otherwise identified within the ‘regularity’ ‘names’ or advocacy newsgroups.

 

1.4 The specific advice on spam reports updated and published on the reporting page has helped to reduce duplicity.

 

1.5. A comprehensive FAQ section has significantly reduced the number of non remit reports that were otherwise forced upon us.

 

1.6. An automated response to reporters has removed the necessity to commit Hotline resources to a personal reply to every reporter.

 

2        Recommendation

2.1 Following a review of custom and practice we seek Board and FC approval for the following policy change:

 

Priority 1 = within one working day of receipt (specific newsgroups articles and reports made by other hotlines/ISPs/Police. Suspect UK hosted websites)

 

Priority 2 = within three working days of receipt (reports of a specific child abuse series of postings in a Newsgroup)

 

Priority 3 = within five working days of receipt reports of child abuse websites (excluding UK Child abuse reports made by members of the public)

 

Priority 4 = within ten working days of receipt (criminally obscene, incitement to racial hatred and non remit reports)

 

 

 

3        Future risks

3.1 There is a possibility that new demands could become a reality if the government introduced new legislation and our stakeholders and Trustees agree to an extension of our remit or the interpretation of current laws within our remit are developed and tested such as adult content available to minors under the Obscene Publications Act. In the event of any such changes then the turn round times would have to be reconsidered but there is no reason why this policy recommendation should not be adopted now.