IWF reveals latest figures on child abuse content online
Embargoed until 1.00am Thursday 20 July 2006
New half year figures from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reveal that just 0.2 per cent of child abuse images on the internet are hosted in the UK, down from 18 per cent in 1997. However, new IWF intelligence reveals that some websites containing child abuse content hosted abroad remain accessible for up to five years despite being reported to the relevant authorities.
This website longevity research reveals how many and how long websites containing potentially illegal child abuse content remain accessible around the world despite being reported to relevant authorities by the IWF months or even years ago. A fifth of all websites hosting child abuse content on the IWF database, were accessible at the start and end of a six week period. One website, for example, was first reported in 1999, has since been reported to us 96 times and reported by us to relevant authorities a further 20 times and yet still remains available.
This new information underlines the need for unified international efforts, transcending borders and legal jurisdictions. This would ensure action is taken quickly and effectively to have websites hosting child abuse content removed and those who publish illegal material traced and investigated.
The IWF report also reveals the continuation of a trend for hosting non-commercial images of child abuse on Japanese message boards and a growing trend for US free hosting systems to be abused. The first half of 2006 also showed online photo album services are being used for posting images of child abuse and an emerging trend for the distribution of child abuse videos online.
Key Figures 2006
- 14,000 reports processed by IWF ‘Hotline’ (24% increase on first six months of 05)
- 5,000 of these reports contain child abuse content (49% increase on first six month of 05)
- Only 0.2 % of potentially illegal child abuse content hosted in UK (down from 18% in 1997)
- 0% of criminally obscene content hosted in the UK
- 0% of incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK
- 50% of child abuse content traced to US
- 15% child abuse content traced to Russia
- 12% child abuse content traced to Japan
- 9% child abuse content traced to Spain
- 50 intelligence reports passed to UK police
Key Facts 2006
- Two new Government Ministers welcome IWF report
- More members using our child abuse content URL service to block internet access
- Every report to our hotline processed within 24 hours
- Any potentially illegal websites hosted in UK removed within 48 hours
Vernon Coaker MP, Under-Secretary for Policing, Security and Community Safety, Home Office, said: “UK Ministers continue to press for greater action at an international level, but this report underlines the importance of the work the IWF and ISPs are doing to block all UK residents from accessing websites, wherever they are hosted, identified as potentially illegal by the IWF by the end of 2007. It is crucial to raise awareness among UK internet users about the IWF as the vehicle to report their inadvertent exposure to this type of content.
Peter Robbins, Chief Executive, IWF, said: “2006 is proving our busiest year yet; with record reports processed and a record number of websites confirmed to contain child abuse content. In addition, more of our members are choosing to implement blocking mechanisms using our database of websites containing child abuse content, so their customers are protected from being inadvertently exposed to potentially illegal websites.
That only 0.2 per cent of child abuse content is hosted here is a testament to the public’s help in reporting suspicious websites and to all our partners such as ISP’s, mobile operators, internet search providers, the Government and Police agencies for supporting our aims.”
The increase in reports processed could be attributed to a number of factors, including: public intolerance of child abuse content online combined with increased awareness of our role in combating it; our hotline team developing specialist skills to tackle new ways of distributing child abuse images in many formats and guises and being better equipped to develop intelligence gained from reports.
The IWF is the only authorised organisation in the UK operating an internet ‘hotline’ for the public and IT professionals to report their exposure to potentially illegal child abuse content hosted on the internet anywhere in the world and criminally obscene and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK.
Child abuse images represent real children being abused. If anyone is inadvertently exposed to material like this, they should file a report online at www.iwf.org.uk. Reporting is simple and can be done anonymously.
Ends
For an online version of the 2006 Half Yearly Report, visit www.iwf.org.uk
For a hard copy, email media@iwf.org.uk
For interviews or further information please contact:
Sarah Robertson – IWF Communications, t: 01223 237700, e: sarah@iwf.org.uk
In support
Vernon Coaker MP, Under-Secretary for Policing, Security and Community Safety, Home Office.
Home Office Press Office: t: 0207 0353535
John Carr, New Technology Adviser NCH, said: "Globally the UK has gained a huge and well deserved reputation for the dramatic and highly effective way it has tackled child pornography on the internet. The lion's share of the credit for that must go to the IWF."
NCH Press Office: e: siobhan.mccann@nch.org.uk, t: 020 7704 7111
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive, CEOP, said: “CEOP welcomes the IWF’s new Hotline figures which can provide UK and international law enforcement agencies with more intelligence than ever before to inform the global fight against the proliferation of child abuse images on the internet”
CEOP Press Office: e: press@ceop.gov.uk, t: 0870 000 3434
Nick Lansman, Secretary General, Internet Service Providers Association, said: “ISPA UK’s work with the IWF has shown consistent and ongoing success as evidenced by the IWF’s 2006 figures. The UK Internet industry is leading the world in the development of a safer Internet. Technological research and development from within the UK Internet industry has made great strides towards curtailing the availability of child abuse images on the Internet.”
ISPA Press Office: e: pressoffice@ispa.org.uk
About the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
The IWF is the only authorised organisation in the UK operating an internet ‘hotline’ for the public and IT professionals to report their exposure to potentially illegal content online.
Our aim is to minimise the availability of potentially illegal internet content, specifically:
- child abuse images hosted anywhere in the world
- criminally obscene content hosted in the UK
- incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK
We work in partnership with police and UK Government departments such as the Home Office and the Department of Trade and Industry to influence initiatives and programmes developed to combat online abuse. This dialogue goes beyond the UK and Europe, to ensure greater awareness of global issues and responsibilities.
We are funded by the EU and the UK internet industry including internet service providers (ISPs), mobile operators and manufacturers, content service providers (CSPs) and telecommunications & software companies.
Through the hotline reporting system, we help ISPs to combat abuse of their services through a ‘notice and take-down’ service by alerting them to any potentially illegal content on their systems and simultaneously inviting the police to investigate the publisher.
We also provide a comprehensive list of websites containing child abuse content for organisations such as ISPs, mobile network operators, software companies and search engines to block access to potentially illegal child abuse images.
As a result, only 0.2% of potentially illegal content is apparently hosted in the UK, down from 18% in 1997.
Please note that the terms ‘child pornography’ or ‘child porn’ can act 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 abuse images.
Created: Wed, July 19th, 2006 | Last Modified: Tue, October 24th, 2006
