The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) operates the internet ‘Hotline’ in the UK for the public to report potentially illegal internet content.

Working in partnership with law enforcement agencies, government, internet and mobile industries and international Hotlines, the IWF works to minimise the availability of child sexual abuse content, as well as block access to it, for the protection of internet consumers.

Through the 'Hotline' reporting system, we help internet service providers to combat abuse of their services through a ‘notice and take-down’ service by alerting them to any potentially illegal content within our remit on their systems and simultaneously inviting the police to investigate the publisher.

As a result, less than 1% of potentially illegal content has apparently been hosted in the UK since 2003, down from 18% in 1997.

In partnership with many organisations we strive to create continued awareness of the role and purpose of the IWF and aim to foster trust and reassurance in the internet for current and future users.

What do we mean by illegal content on the internet?
This refers to images and occasionally text that contain any of the following:
• Child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world
• Criminally obscene content hosted in the UK
• Incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK

Don’t ignore it, report it!
If you genuinely stumble across such images or are inadvertently exposed to them you must report them to the Internet Watch Foundation, the relevant Hotline in your country or to the police.

You must not deliberately seek out potentially illegal child sexual abuse images; deliberately viewing them is a serious criminal offence.

Why should I report these images?
Behind every image is a child who has suffered real sexual abuse. Every time these images are viewed, that abuse is perpetuated. Reports from the public enable us to work, in partnership with many in the UK and abroad, to remove this content, help restrict access to it, and inform the investigative activities that could bring those responsible to justice and rescue children from suffering.

How do I report?
Go to the Internet Watch Foundation’s website www.iwf.org.uk and complete the step-by-step form. The form is easy to navigate and reports can be submitted anonymously.

What about other suspicious or criminal activity online?
The Internet Watch Foundation is unable to take reports or help with queries that fall outside of the three categories listed above. We do, however, provide a great deal of information on our website and our FAQ section is a valuable resource for issues outside our remit.

What about the future?
The internet continues to bring new opportunities to many aspects of society and Hotlines have an important role to play in sharing experience and exchanging expertise with individuals, companies, Governments and other organisations to promote informed responses to challenges brought about by the global and dynamic nature of the internet and increasingly widespread internet access.

UK experience has led to many opportunities for us to share expertise around the world with organisations seeking to adapt our model to respond to new and emerging forms of internet criminality.

For more information, please visit: www.iwf.org.uk