Internet Watch Foundation

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Internet Watch Foundation
Detail of IWF's front page at http://www.iwf.org.uk/. The site's layout is composed to emphasize the "Report Illegal Content" button at center screen.
URL	http://www.iwf.org.uk/
Commercial?	No
Type of site	Comprehensive information and reporting mechanism
Registration	No
Owner	Internet Watch Foundation
Created by	Internet Watch Foundation

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is the only recognised organisation in the UK operating an internet ‘Hotline’ for the public and IT professionals to report their exposure to potentially illegal content online. It works in partnership with the police, Government, the public, Internet service providers and the wider online industry.

1 History
2 The Website
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

It was formed in 1996 following an agreement between the government, police and the internet service provider industry after the police were concerned that some ISPs may be prosecuted for hosting child pornography. ^[1]. An agreement was facilitated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) between some ISPs, the Metropolitan Police, the Home Office and a body called the "Safety Net Foundation" (which had been founded by the Dawe Charitable Trust). In September 1996 this agreement - signed by the Internet Service Providers Association and UK infrastructure organisation LINX, and the Safety Net Foundation came into being. The Safety Net Foundation was renamed as the Internet Watch Foundation.

In 1999 the organisation was reviewed for UK government departments, the DTI and the Home Office, which led to changes in its structure and role.

[edit] The Website

The Internet Watch Foundation's website offers a web-based government-endorsed method for reporting suspect online content and remains the only such operation in the United Kingdom. It acts as a relevant authority in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Section 46 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (meaning that its analysts will not be prosecuted for looking at illegal content in the course of their duties) ^[2]. Reports can be submitted anonymously. The IWF aims to minimise the availability of potentially illegal internet content, specifically:

child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world
criminally obscene content hosted in the UK
incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK ^[3]

Logo of the Internet Watch Foundation.

The IWF works in partnership with UK Government departments such as the Home Office and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to influence initiatives and programmes developed to combat online abuse.

They are funded by the EU and the online industry. This includes internet service providers, mobile operators and manufacturers, content service providers, telecommunications and filtering companies, search providers and the financial sector as well as blue-chip and other organisations who support the IWF for Corporate Social Responsibility reasons.

Through the 'Hotline' reporting system, the organisation helps ISPs to combat abuse of their services through a ‘notice and take-down’ service by alerting them to any potentially illegal content within their remit on their systems and simultaneously invites the police to investigate the publisher.

Despite this content being almost eradicated from UK networks, sexually abusive images of children are still available around the world so IWF member companies voluntarily protect UK internet users, preventing the accidental download of such content, by deploying the IWF's dynamic list on their services. Many in the online sector have chosen to make use of this service, namely, internet service providers, mobile operators, search providers and filtering companies.

The IWF has connections with the Virtual Global Taskforce, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.