Internet Watch Foundation
Presentation :
Mission
To work in partnership with Internet Service Providers, Telecommunication Companies, Mobile Operators, Software Providers, the Police and Government to minimise the availability of online illegal content, particularly child abuse images.
Vision
« Combating Child Abuse Images Online »
Role
To foster trust and confidence in the Internet among current and future Internet users
• by operating a hotline to enable the public to report instances of potential child abuse images, criminally obscene and criminally racist material found anywhere in the world on the Internet, for example via websites, newsgroups, mobiles or other on-line services.
• by promoting wider education and awareness of its functions and role and those of other key players such as the DTI, Law Enforcement and consumer bodies.
To assist service providers to combat the abuse of their systems for the dissemination of criminal content
• by operating a notice and take down service to alert hosting service providers of criminal material found on their servers. • by recommending that ISPs should not carry certain newsgroups in accordance with policy guidelines adopted by the IWF Board.
To assist law enforcement in the fight against criminal content on the Internet
• by combating the dissemination on the Internet of criminal content i.e. abusive images of children and potentially illegal adult and racist material. • by passing details of reports relating to potential child abuse images residing on servers outside the UK to the relevant national hotline or appropriate UK law enforcement agency. • by working closely with the police, lending its expertise to help trace the individuals responsible for such criminal activity online.
The Chief Executive of the IWF is Peter Robbins QPM
