Internet Watch Foundation

INHOPE, the International Association of Internet hotlines, reports there has been a global increase in child sexual abuse content on the Internet with 9,600 confirmed reports of child sexual abuse content processed per month.

 

A statistical analysis of the reports received by the INHOPE network over a 28 month period has resulted in the first detailed analysis of illegal activity on the Internet.

Cormac Callanan, former INHOPE Chief Executive and co author, said: "The INHOPE trend report represents a major milestone in the work of INHOPE and the history of the Internet."

Dr. Nikos Frydas, President of the Greek hotline, Safenet, and co author of the report explained that "INHOPE hotlines collect reports about illegal and harmful content in over 25 countries around the world. INHOPE is now in the unique position to accurately describe the illegal and harmful sectors of the Internet."

The Internet Watch Foundation, the UK ‘Hotline’ for taking reports on child sexual abuse content hosted world wide, criminally obscene content hosted in the UK and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK, is a founding member of INHOPE.

 

Read the full 2007 INHOPE Global Internet Trend Report here.

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The mission of INHOPE is to support and enhance the performance of Internet Hotlines around the World, ensuring swift action is taken in responding to reports of illegal action, making the internet a safer place.

The INHOPE Association of Internet Hotlines, co-ordinated from Ireland, was founded in 1999. Hotlines monitor the internet and it is where the general public can report illegal internet content such as child pornography. The hotline confidentially then reviews each report, referring illegal material onto law enforcement agencies, such as Law Enforcement or Internet Service Providers for further action.  

Today, there are twenty eight members of INHOPE worldwide, including members from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. Through meeting regularly to share knowledge and best practice, INHOPE and its members are working to tackle the global problem of illegal content online – and succeeding.

 

 

Kerry Gordon

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

INHOPE

25 Sandyford Office Park, Dublin 18, Ireland

e:         pr@inhope.org

w:        www.inhope.org

m:        +353 87 99 614 99

 

 

 

The 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.

 

Our aim is to minimise the availability of potentially illegal internet content, specifically:

We work in partnership with UK Government departments such as the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to influence initiatives and programmes developed to combat online abuse. This dialogue goes beyond the UK and Europe, to ensure greater awareness of global issues and responsibilities.

 

We are a self-regulatory body, funded by the EU and the wider online industry. This includes internet service providers (ISPs), 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 us for corporate social responsibility reasons.

  

Through the 'Hotline' reporting system, we help ISPs 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.

 

Please note that the terms "child pornography" or "child porn" can act to legitimise images which are not pornography. Rather, they are permanent records of children being sexually abused and as such should be referred to as child sexual abuse images.