New pilot shows way for smaller platforms to play big part in online safety

A new pilot scheme is showing how even the smallest platforms can help play their part in preventing the spread of child sexual abuse imagery online.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and cyber security company Cyacomb have launched a pilot programme which allows small platforms to benefit from world-leading tools to block and disrupt the spread of known Child Sexual Abuse Material.

Cyacomb Safety is a tool which allows platforms to match content their users upload or share against IWF lists of known child sexual abuse imagery without compromising their user’s privacy.

It gives smaller businesses and platforms, which may not have the infrastructure or the capacity to handle sensitive data a solution to make sure their users are kept safe, and that they are playing their part in preventing the spread of criminal child sexual abuse imagery. It will also help platforms become compliant with the Online Safety Act, which will come into effect for them in 2025.

Dan Sexton, Chief Technology Officer at the Internet Watch Foundation, said: “It is a strategic priority for the IWF to find ways to deliver its services at a greater scale and to ensure that offenders are denied the use of as many platforms as possible. “This pilot project has helped us look differently at how we can scale, addressing many of the legal, governance and technical barriers that we face today.”

Now Blipfoto, a community-owned and volunteer-run online photo journal and social networking service, has begun using Cyacomb’s tools.

Annie Andrews, Director of Blipfoto, said: “It’s hugely reassuring to know that offenders can’t misuse the private spaces our community offers to share Child Sexual Abuse Material, and it gives us confidence that we are meeting our obligations to protect children.”