U.S.-based Social Sentinel and Internet Watch Foundation to accelerate the removal of child sexual abuse material on social media.

Social Sentinel, Inc. a social media threat assessment firm based in Vermont, United States, has joined the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). Their flagship product, the Social Sentinel® service, flags potential threats publically posted on social media channels by leveraging a highly curated and ever-evolving library of keywords, phrases and algorithms developed by safety and security experts. As the IWF’s newest Member, Social Sentinel will incorporate keywords IWF has associated with child sexual abuse material into the Sentinel Search™ Library. Posts containing these keywords and phrases will trigger a real-time alert that will be sent directly to relevant safety and security officials to stop distribution of illegal content and protect children and victims of sexual abuse.

Dr. Gary J. Margolis, Social Sentinel, said: “Expanding the Sentinel Search Library to include keywords that help our customers protect children and victims of child abuse is a natural fit for the Social Sentinel service. We’re committed to helping ensure all potential threats shared publicly on social media are identified quickly and efficiently, so the proper authorities can act in the best interest of their communities and, in this instance, eliminate further victimization.”

Susie Hargreaves, IWF CEO, said: “The speed at which we can remove a victim’s image or video of their sexual abuse from the Internet is incredibly important. By acting quickly, we not only reduce the number of times the imagery is viewed, but also the number of times the child involved is revictimised. Social Sentinel joining IWF membership will make our efforts to eliminate online child sexual abuse imagery more responsive than ever.”


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Notes to editors:

Contact: Lisa Stacey, IWF Communications Manager +44 (0) 1223 203030 or +44 (0) 7929 553679.
About the IWF

The IWF is the Hotline to report:

·        child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world;

·        criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK;

·        non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK.

For more information please visit www.iwf.org.uk.

The IWF is part of the UK Safer Internet Centre, working with Childnet International and the South West Grid for Learning to promote the safe and responsible use of technology.