The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has welcomed a new Member, Utropolis, a next generation web filtering and digital safeguarding company. By combining modern, AI-driven cloud technology with its experience in digital safeguarding, Utropolis aims to meet the IWF objectives of a safer internet for children.
Utropolis addresses the challenge of modern-day safeguarding in schools by mirroring the fluidity of the ever-changing internet. AI-driven cloud technology predicts risks, streamlines policies and empowers educators to deliver proactive protection and real-time insights for safer, uninterrupted learning. Underpinned by a team that are both experienced educators in schools and seasoned in digital safeguarding practices, the company is positioned to leapfrog traditional approaches that are outdated or too slow.
The IWF operates globally to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material through the detection and identification of the criminal imagery online. The not-for-profit charity provides a unique range of services to help Members protect their users and children, such as its URL List which provides a comprehensive list of webpages containing confirmed images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Through the partnership, Utropolis will integrate the IWF’s URL, Non-Photorealistic Image URL and Keywords lists into its web filtering and digital safeguarding platform. This will strengthen its ability to detect and prevent access to child sexual abuse material, support the guidance from Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and meet the levels of web filtering expected by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC).
Douglas Hanley, Utropolis CTO and Founder, said: “Becoming a member of the Internet Watch Foundation is an important milestone for Utropolis. Child safety is at the heart of everything we build, and partnering with the IWF ensures our filtering is informed by the most comprehensive and respected source of its kind.
“For schools navigating the expectations of KCSIE and the UK Safer Internet Centre, this integration provides another layer of assurance that they are meeting their safeguarding obligations.”
Kerry Smith, Internet Watch Foundation CEO, said: “Last year, the IWF found record levels of child sexual abuse content, more than ever before. Victims and survivors suffer repeatedly every time this imagery is viewed, shared or sold.
“Our tried-and-tested tools for detecting and removing child sexual abuse material are a first step in ensuring that the internet is a safer space for children. We are proud to have Utropolis join a dedicated community that is determined to stop the spread of this harmful content. We could not do what we do without the support of our Members.”
Find out more about becoming a Member and the services the IWF can provide.
