Published: Thu 8 May 2025
DoubleVerify (DV), a leading software platform for digital media measurement, data and analytics, has partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to proactively disrupt the spread of child sexual abuse material and make the internet safer for everyone.
The global organisation provides brands with media measurement and verification solutions to create more transparent ad transactions and boost the overall effectiveness of their digital investments. Its expertise puts DV in a critical position to prevent advertisers' budgets from inadvertently funding illicit content and supporting criminal activity online.
By becoming an IWF Member, DV will integrate IWF’s comprehensive URL list into its systems. This vital tool blocks webpages that are confirmed to host illegal child sexual abuse images. By embedding the URL list into its technology, DV will help brands ensure their advertising does not appear on or fund webpages containing illicit content such as illegal child sexual abuse imagery
In 2024, the IWF had a record year for online child sexual abuse reports. Experts at the not-for-profit charity confirmed more than 290,000 reports containing child sexual abuse material. Each URL could contain one, tens, hundreds or even thousands of child sexual abuse images or videos. With the scale of abuse growing, partnerships like this are pivotal in the fight to combat the spread of criminal imagery online.
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify, said: “The fight against illegal and harmful content online requires not just talk, but ongoing, collective action.
“By working together across advertisers, ad tech platforms, publishers, law enforcement, and third-party experts, we can make a meaningful impact in keeping digital advertising safe, responsible, and free from the monetisation of harmful content.
"We will continue this important work, as illegal content online is a constantly evolving security challenge.”
Derek Ray-Hill, Interim CEO of the IWF, said: “Given its role in the digital advertising ecosystem, DoubleVerify will help lead the way in how adtech companies can help prevent the monetisation of child sexual abuse material.
“This partnership enables us to move faster and further together in the fight to protect children online by scaling efforts to prevent offenders profiting from the distribution of this harmful content.”
Find out more about becoming a Member and the services the IWF can provide at www.iwf.org.uk/our-services
Expert speakers highlighted the need for an EU-wide framework for detecting, reporting and removing child sexual abuse material from the internet
