Commercial disguised websites

URL Analysis

What are commercial disguised websites?

Since 2011, we have been monitoring commercial child sexual abuse websites which display child sexual abuse imagery only when accessed using a specific method. Access to this content is granted via a link on a different website where a specific referrer or cookie(s) is required, sometimes both may be required together. When this method is not followed, or the website is accessed directly through a browser, legal (usually pornographic) content is displayed. This means it is more challenging to locate and investigate the criminal imagery.

  • In 2024, we uncovered 2,877 disguised websites using this process to hide child sexual abuse imagery.
  • This represents 41% of the 7,028 commercial websites seen in 2024, a small increase of 2 percentage points on last year.

These sites are notoriously hard to find and action, due to the specialist knowledge and experience required. Our analysts say these sites can typically take at least twice as long to access and action as an average website. The IWF takes pride in its expertise in this area, sharing knowledge and training with stakeholders such as other hotlines and law enforcement agencies.

In our experience, criminal content on these sites stay live for longer due to their hidden nature, which is why it is essential we take time to do this and share this knowledge. In doing so we are helping other agencies to take action on websites that otherwise would be seen to be legal.

Disguised websites have also continued to exploit top-level domain hopping to avoid detection and remain online.

What can we do about this?

We actively monitor the evolving techniques used by these websites in order to uncover criminal material and take action to get it removed. We also share intelligence and training with partner organisations to empower them to do the same.