IWF report shows reduction in child abuse sites

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) today released its annual report showing decreases in the number of websites with child sexual abuse content but a large amount showing what it deems as "severe" images.

The report revealed a 10 per cent drop in the number of international websites with child sexual abuse content but 74 per cent of the domains were commercial outfits, selling the images for profit. Of that commercial percentage around 850 of the sites were registered under just 10 domain name registries.

"These websites, although reducing in number, represent an extremely serious problem," said Peter Robbins OBE, QPM, chief executive of IWF.

"The extensive intelligence networks we have with partner Hotlines and law enforcement colleagues around the world to support international action are making a real difference but the sophisticated way these websites operate still makes it a highly complex and global challenge."

Although the report shows a positive reduction in the volume of websites showing the content, it also revealed that 58 per cent of the content contains graphic images involving penetration or torture with almost a quarter of the victims appearing to be aged six or under.

The IWF, along with Hotlines, has created a five point plan aimed at tackling the problem. It wants self regulation through public and private partnerships including ISPs, a "national notice and take-down scheme" ensuring the removal of the material as quickly as possible, better promotion of filtering, a push to establish partnerships with domain name registries and a commitment to sharing data and intelligence as well as tactics for dealing with the problems internationally.

The report, and the work IWF does, has received praise from many areas.

Lord Stephen Carter CBE, minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting, praised the work of the IWF and the report. He said: "I continue to be impressed by the breadth of [IWFs] industry support and by the range of UK industry-led tactics to combat child sexual abuse content online which have impacted so positively around the world."

He added: "Effective, widely supported self-regulation is not a simple formula. For the IWF it requires commitment to a range of stakeholder demands, public interest concerns, international political pressures, and technological evolution and I congratulate them on their achievements."

Earlier this year, it was discovered that five per cent of ISPs were not following IWF guidelines and voluntarily blocking a list of known child abuse websites. However, in March this year the legality of the guidelines were brought into question.