Internet Watch Foundation

News International has joined over 70 organisations to become a member of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), working in partnership to protect UK internet users and combat illegal content online.

 

The IWF works with the police, Government, the public and the online industry to remove illegal online content and protect UK internet users from inadvertently accessing this content. The organisation provides the UK’s only authorised internet ‘Hotline’, allowing the public to report their inadvertent exposure to child abuse images, incitement to racial hatred and criminally obscene content.

 

The IWF relies on funding from its diverse membership to carry out its work. These members include ISPs, telecommunications and blue chip companies and filtering and software providers.

 

Peter Robbins, IWF CEO, said, “News International’s publications have been great supporters of our work, running print and online editorial to highlight our work, success and challenges in our fight against child abuse images on the internet. We are delighted to welcome them now as a full funding member and look forward to developing this partnership in the future.”

 

Danny Dagan, Head of Community at News Group Digital said, “We are delighted to be the first newspaper group to join the IWF. As the print media becomes more digitised, it has to ensure that it embraces user generated content, whilst, at the same time, keeping high standards and protecting the brand. This is not always an easy balance to maintain, but by adopting industry best practice and joining the IWF we are able to demonstrate our commitment to the safeguards that really matter.”

 

The IWF’s unique database enables the blocking by its members of online child abuse content. The Government has stated it wishes to see all UK ISPs blocking access to websites on the IWF list in 2007.

 

The IWF will be publishing its Annual Report 2006 on April 23 2007, including its latest statistics, trends and ‘Hotline’ intelligence.

 

Our aim is to minimise the availability of potentially illegal internet content, specifically:

We work in partnership with 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 our industry members 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.

 

As a result, less than 1% 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.

 

Sarah Robertson, IWF Communications, e: sarah@iwf.org.uk, t: 01223 237700

 

 

News International Limited is the main UK subsidiary of the global media company News Corporation.  Times Newspapers Ltd (TNL) publishes The Times, The Sunday Times and www.timesonline.co.uk. News Group Newspapers Limited (NGN) publishes The Sun and News of the World, www.thesun.co.uk, www.page3.com and www.newsoftheworld.co.uk. Other websites which are part of the News International group include www.thelondonpaper.com and www.propertyfinder.com .

 

Daisy Dunlop, Corporate Affairs, News International Ltd, t: 020 7782 6019