Published: Thu 23 May 2024
Wizz, a social discovery app that allows users from 13 to 24 to meet and chat with people their own age has come on board as a new Member of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
The Wizz app uses sophisticated AI safety measures to create a safe online environment for users and will now integrate several IWF services, such as the IWF Keywords List, to help tackle the spread of child sexual abuse content online.
The pioneering Keywords List is designed to prevent the distribution of criminal content concealed by words, phrases and codes used by offenders on legitimate networks and platforms, and is vital for moderation purposes in chat, gaming and forum environments.
Wizz Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Gautier Gédoux, said: “We are proud to partner with the IWF in pursuit of a shared objective: keeping the internet safe, particularly for young users.
“Safety has always been at the core of Wizz's design and development, as the foundation to building a platform where young people can be their true selves and make meaningful connections.
“We value the opportunity to work with IWF and other Members to ensure we are always innovating and improving the ways to keep people safe online.”
Susie Hargreaves OBE, Chief Executive of the IWF, said: “The internet provides a valuable space for young people to learn, socialise and engage with others but IWF numbers show that reports of child sexual abuse material online are on the rise.
“That is why it is so important that companies do the right thing to make sure they are building safe services and taking proactive steps to protect users on their platforms and why we applaud Wizz’s decision to partner with the IWF.”
Wizz joins more than 200 tech companies using IWF’s services. To learn more about Wizz, visit the company's website here. Find out more about becoming a Member and the services the IWF can provide to make the internet a safer space for all users here.
Act now or see ‘fewer children safeguarded, fewer perpetrators held accountable, and offenders re-established on mainstream platforms’, lawmakers warned.
