Internet Watch Foundation

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is a global charitable organisation based in Cambridge, England, established in September 1996. Its primary mission is to minimise the availability of online sexual abuse content, particularly focusing on child sexual abuse images and videos hosted anywhere in the world and non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK. Initially, the IWF also handled reports of criminally obscene adult content and content inciting racial hatred, but these areas were removed from its remit in 2017 and 2011, respectively.

The IWF operates a national Hotline that allows the public to report potentially illegal online content. These reports, along with proactive searches conducted by IWF analysts, help identify child sexual abuse images and videos on the internet. When such content is found, the IWF works to have it removed by issuing notices to hosting companies or collaborating with international hotlines and law enforcement agencies. Over 99% of the content identified by the IWF is hosted outside the UK. For these cases, the IWF places the URLs on a list provided to its partners for blocking.

The IWF is funded by the internet industry, private donors, and project funding from various bodies. It also receives a grant from Nominet as part of its work with the UK Safer Internet Centre. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees, which includes an Independent Chair, six Independent Trustees, three Industry Trustees, and one Co-opted Trustee. The Board is responsible for overseeing and directing the IWF's remit, strategy, policies, and budget.

Marking 25 years of combating online child sexual abuse, the IWF has assessed 1.8 million reports, with 970,000 of these showing child sexual abuse imagery. In 2021, the organisation investigated more reports than in its first 15 years combined, reflecting its increased capacity and dedication to protecting children. Through their efforts, millions of illegal images have been removed from the internet, stopping the repeated victimisation of children.

The IWF has developed several services to help internet companies prevent the spread of child sexual abuse imagery online. These services include the URL List, Image Hash List, and tools like IntelliGrade, which allow for the grading and hashing of criminal images. They also use a web crawler to scan the internet for illegal content and a chatbot, reThink, designed to prevent people from viewing harmful material. The IWF also engages in international policy work, sharing best practices with governments, industry, and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) collaborates with over 190 tech companies, including giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, to fight against online child sexual abuse. These members utilise IWF’s services, such as the URL List and IntelliGrade, to protect their platforms and ensure the internet remains a safer space for everyone.

The IWF’s work is recognised globally as a model of best practice. One of its significant achievements is reducing the percentage of child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK from 18% in 1996 to less than 1% since 2003. 

The governance of the IWF includes regular Board and Executive meetings, as well as a finance committee. The organisation is subject to regular audits and inspections to ensure compliance with current legislation and to maintain its independent status. The IWF’s partnership approach involves working with various stakeholders globally, including the tech community, law enforcement, and governments, to eliminate child sexual abuse imagery online.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) was established in September 1996 in response to growing concerns about the availability of illegal content on the Internet, particularly child sexual abuse material. The organisation was founded as a result of discussions facilitated by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) involving Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the Metropolitan Police, the Home Office, and the Dawe Charitable Trust, which initially formed the "Safety Net Foundation." The IWF was created to provide a hotline for the public and IT professionals to report potentially illegal online content, and to act as the 'notice and takedown' body for such material.

The IWF's early years were marked by its efforts to establish a self-regulatory framework for the internet industry in the UK. The organisation worked closely with ISPs to identify and remove illegal content, particularly indecent images of children. At its inception, the IWF focused on newsgroups that hosted illegal content, following a request from the Metropolitan Police to ban access to a list of 132 newsgroups. This early action laid the groundwork for the IWF's ongoing efforts to minimise the availability of child sexual abuse material online.

In 1999, the IWF underwent a significant review by consultants KPMG and Denton Hall, commissioned by the DTI and the Home Office. The review resulted in several changes to the organisation's role and structure, leading to its relaunch in early 2000 with the endorsement of the government. Patricia Hewitt, the Minister for E-Commerce at the time, highlighted the IWF's vital role in combating criminal material on the internet. To enhance its independence and credibility, the IWF appointed Roger Darlington, a former head of research at the Communication Workers Union, as its new independent chairman.

Throughout the early 2000s, the IWF continued to expand its remit and develop new tools to combat illegal content online. In 2004, the organisation attained charitable status to improve its governance and accountability. The IWF also became a key player in the global fight against child sexual abuse material, joining the International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) and working with law enforcement agencies, governments, and industry partners worldwide.

One of the IWF's significant achievements came in 2003 when it successfully reduced the percentage of child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK to less than 1%, a figure that has remained steady since. This reduction was a direct result of the IWF's proactive approach to identifying and removing illegal content and its close collaboration with ISPs and law enforcement agencies.

In 2011, the IWF's remit was adjusted to focus exclusively on child sexual abuse content, following the removal of content inciting racial hatred from its responsibilities. 

In 2017, the IWF further refined its focus by removing criminally obscene adult content from its remit. These changes allowed the organisation to concentrate its resources and expertise on combating the most severe forms of online abuse.

The IWF has developed a range of services to support its mission, including the URL List, which allows ISPs and other partners to block access to known child sexual abuse material, and the IntelliGrade tool, which enables the grading and hashing of criminal images in line with legal and classification standards across different countries. 

In a 2024 report, the IWF highlighted a significant increase in AI-generated content, with 3,512 AI-created child sexual abuse images and videos identified on a dark web forum during a 30-day review.

Today, the IWF organisation processes over 7,000 reports per week and works tirelessly to remove illegal content from the internet. The IWF’s work is supported by over 190 tech companies, including industry giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta. 

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has clear goals and purposes that guide its work in making the Internet a safer place. These can be summarised as follows:

Minimise the Availability of Child Sexual Abuse Content: The primary goal of the IWF is to reduce the presence of child sexual abuse images and videos online. This includes content hosted anywhere in the world and non-photographic images hosted in the UK.

Provide a Safe Reporting Mechanism: The IWF offers a secure and anonymous platform for the public and IT professionals to report potentially illegal content. This helps in identifying and removing harmful material from the internet.

Collaborate Globally: The IWF works closely with the tech industry, law enforcement agencies, governments, and other organisations around the world. This cooperation is essential to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material effectively.

Develop and Share Technology: The IWF creates and shares advanced technological tools, such as the URL List and Image Hash List, with its members. These tools help in blocking and removing illegal content across various platforms.

Support Victims: By removing online records of child sexual abuse, the IWF aims to prevent the repeated victimisation of children. Their work helps to give victims peace of mind, knowing that efforts are being made to stop the spread of their abuse.

Influence Policy and Legislation: The IWF engages with governments and international bodies to share best practices and influence policies that enhance the protection of children online.

Raise Awareness: Through campaigns and public outreach, the IWF educates the public about the dangers of online child sexual abuse and encourages reporting of illegal content.

Remain Independent and Accountable: As a charity and a company limited by guarantee, the IWF is committed to maintaining its independence. It is governed by a Board of Trustees who oversee its strategy, policies, and budget.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has made a significant impact in the fight against online child sexual abuse content since its establishment in 1996. One of the IWF's most notable achievements is reducing the proportion of child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK from 18% in 1996 to less than 1% since 2003. This reduction highlights the effectiveness of the IWF's ongoing efforts to remove illegal content from the internet.

A critical component of the IWF's work is its public hotline, which allows individuals to report illegal content anonymously. These reports, combined with proactive searches conducted by the IWF’s team of analysts, help identify and remove harmful material from the web. The IWF processes over 7,000 reports each week, using advanced tools like IntelliGrade to categorise and track images. IntelliGrade is particularly valuable because it enables the IWF to share hashed images globally, which prevents the re-uploading of illegal content and supports law enforcement agencies worldwide in their investigations.

The IWF’s work is not confined to the UK. It plays an active role internationally, working closely with global partners, including law enforcement agencies, governments, and other hotlines, to combat the spread of child sexual abuse content. As a member of INHOPE, the International Association of Internet Hotlines, the IWF strengthens its ability to address these issues on a global scale. This international collaboration is essential for tackling content that crosses borders and for ensuring that global efforts are coordinated and effective.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) runs various awareness campaigns aimed at preventing child sexual abuse and stopping the re-victimisation of survivors by eliminating the sharing, selling, or viewing of abusive content online. Notable campaigns include "Think Before You Share," which educates young people on the dangers of sharing explicit imagery, and "TALK and Gurls Out Loud," which warns parents and carers about online predators. The "So Socking Simple" campaign helps young people navigate situations where they accidentally encounter sexual content online, while the "No Such Thing" campaign advocates against the use of the term 'child pornography,' stressing it is child sexual abuse. Internationally, IWF has also led campaigns to improve child welfare and internet safety in Uganda and Zambia.