Relevant Quotes
IWF
March 2006
Peter Robbins QPM, Chief Executive, IWF
"Founded by the internet industry in 1996, the IWF has gone on to secure a membership of over 70 companies and organisations and has almost eradicated online child abuse images hosted in the UK.
We are proud to share our successful self regulatory model with other countries. Our achievements are testament to an outstanding partnership approach, securing support from the internet and mobile industry, public, Government and the police and many others, however, there is still important work to be done in raising the public’s awareness of our work so we can engage with others hotlines around the world to have these dreadful images of child abuse removed as quickly as possible."
October 2006
Amanda Jordan OBE, Chair, IWF
"Importantly, I would like to thank our ‘Hotline’ Analysts who have the unenviable job of assessing potentially illegal images and, without whom, our success, our evolution and our impressive statistics would not be possible."
July 2006
Peter Robbins QPM, Chief Executive, IWF
"2006 is proving our busiest year yet; with record reports processed and a record number of websites confirmed to contain child abuse content. In addition, more of our members are choosing to implement blocking mechanisms using our database of websites containing child abuse content, so their customers are protected from being inadvertently exposed to potentially illegal websites.
That only 0.2 per cent of child abuse content is hosted here is a testament to the public’s help in reporting suspicious websites and to all our partners such as ISP’s, mobile operators, internet search providers, the Government and Police agencies for supporting our aims."
July 2006
Peter Robbins QPM, Chief Executive, IWF
"Widespread implementation of internet blocking mechanisms could help to protect internet consumers from abusive images of children and might help towards suppressing the proliferation of child abuse images online."
June 2006
Sarah Robertson, Communications, IWF
"The Internet Watch Foundation welcomes the new CEOP Centre. It provides a partnership approach to deal with child protection online and we look forward to having this single point of expertise.”
"It is important to highlight the distinction between the two organisations. Essentially, the Internet Watch Foundation deals with illegal online content, as we have successfully for the last 10 years, and the new CEOP Centre deals with illegal behaviour such as grooming in chat rooms. CEOP will also work to trace and rescue the victims of child abuse whilst tracking the offenders and educating internet users about staying safe online.”
"The Internet Watch Foundation will continue its role taking reports from the public about illegal content – child abuse images as well as criminally racist and obscene material. It then works with the industry to have those websites taken down and will pass intelligence about the illegal material to the new CEOP Centre to be further investigated.”
April 2006
Amanda Jordan OBE, Chair, IWF
"The public can feel confident in the IWF’s hard work over the last ten years combating these shocking crimes. The UK remains a very hostile place for those who engage in illegal activities online to the detriment of the majority."
March 2006
Peter Robbins QPM, Chief Executive, IWF
"UK internet users deserve to know that the UK has an excellent track record of successfully combating online child abuse images."
March 2006
Peter Robbins QPM, Chief Executive, IWF
"Every time a website with an indecent image of a child is accessed, this is tantamount to the continuous abuse of the child victim. It is due to the UK public’s complete intolerance of child abuse material that we have one of the best records in the world at combating these images."
March 2006
Government
Stephen Williams Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West
"There are few more serious issues today than child abuse images on the internet and I pay tribute to the IWF’s achievements over the past decade and wish them every success raising awareness of their important work here in our region and around the UK."
November 2006
Andrew Miller, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston and Chairman of the Parliamentary IT Committee (PITCOM)
"This campaign [IWF’s national conferences], which involves advertising in our region as well as the conference itself, is a testament to the professionalism, growth and importance of the organisation and its message."
November 2006
Vernon Coaker MP, Under-Secretary for Policing, Security and Community Safety, Home Office
"This [The IWF’s national conferences] is an important series of events for the IWF and for all of us who are passionate about combating the spread of child abuse images on the internet, not only as professionals but as decent human beings.
The IWF has acted as an embodiment of the partnership approach and an exemplar of what can be achieved in tackling the hosting of these abhorrent images.
Importantly, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every abusive image online there is a real child in the real world being abused."
October 2006
Vernon Coaker MP, Under-Secretary for Policing, Security and Community Safety, Home Office
"UK Ministers continue to press for greater action at an international level, but this report underlines the importance of the work the IWF and ISPs are doing to block all UK residents from accessing websites, wherever they are hosted, identified as potentially illegal by the IWF by the end of 2007. It is crucial to raise awareness among UK internet users about the IWF as the vehicle to report their inadvertent exposure to this type of content."
July 2006
Rt. Hon. Margaret Hodge MP, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, Department of Trade and Industry
"The success of the Internet Watch Foundation is an example of partnership, self-regulation and industry’s social responsibility at its best. With potentially illegal content almost eradicated from UK internet hosts, the challenge for the IWF now is to thwart child abuse content hosted overseas that can still be accessed from the UK.
It was interesting to hear that the IWF has processed more reports than ever regarding potentially illegal websites. This demonstrates both the public’s intolerance of this material and that an increasing number of people know to report potentially illegal online content to the IWF. The large rise in numbers of sites confirmed by the IWF as potentially illegal reflects the organisation’s effectiveness and increased technological sophistication.
The IWF has a crucial role in providing a list of potentially illegal child abuse websites to ISPs, mobile operators, search providers and filtering companies so they can play their part in protecting UK internet users from inadvertent exposure to these terrible images. By working closely with the IWF, business is showing its commitment now and in the future to a united effort to defeat this crime. I believe this is a credit to all concerned and is an object lesson on how to achieve public policy goals in the information age. I look forward to working with and supporting the IWF and business in addressing the threat of child abuse images on the internet."
July 2006
Vernon Coaker MP, Under-Secretary for Policing, Security and Community Safety, Home Office
"The Internet Watch Foundation leads the way in combating online child abuse content hosted anywhere in the world as well as criminally obscene and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK. It is crucial to raise awareness among UK internet users about the IWF as the vehicle to report their inadvertent exposure to this type of content.
I look forward to working closely with the IWF as they continue to tackle the demands of keeping pace with the rapidly evolving nature of the internet and those who set out to use it for criminal purposes."
July 2006
Alun Michael MP, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions
"A reduction from 18% to 0.4% in the UK in less than a decade, and the removal of such material, shows the IWF is a leader in its field. The IWF’s influence is expanding and is an exemplary success story in self-regulation."
March 2006
Rt. Hon Alun Michael MP, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, DTI
"The UK’s ground-breaking alliance between the IWF, the police and industry has achieved more in a year without legislation than we could have achieved in five years through legislation alone."
March 2006
Paul Goggins MP (then) Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
"The Internet Watch Foundation is a hugely successful example of self regulation in action. There is a determination amongst its members, law enforcement agencies and Government to eradicate child abuse images in the UK."
December 2005
Prime Minister Tony Blair
"The UK has perhaps the world's best regime for tackling child pornography, the Internet Watch Foundation, and we continue to work closely with the industry, law enforcement agencies and children's charities to seek ways of protecting children from abuse. The internet obviously bestows enormous opportunities and benefits, but it also creates the dangers to which she draws attention, so it is important that we make sure that we do everything possible to protect our children, who may be gaining access to unsuitable material."
October 2004
Paul Goggins, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Correctional Services and Reducing re-offending
"Identifying abusive images of children is disturbing and unpleasant work; a job for professionals. We value highly the unique contribution which the IWF makes to combating illegal material on the internet."
November 2003
David Hendon, Head of Communications & Information Industries Directorate, DTI
"The IWF continues to show the world how to make the internet a safer place to go. Whilst continuing its excellent work within Britain, the IWF has worked in partnership with the DTI to spread the word to other Governments that there is an alternative to regulating the internet and to spread the benefit of UK experience to other parts of the world. The Government greatly value IWF's work both at home and abroad."
Stephen Timms, (then) Minister of State for Energy, e-Commerce and Postal Services
"The IWF has contributed to a dramatic reduction in potentially illegal content in Britian since its inception in 1996. A strong IWF is an important element of the social structure of the internet in the UK...We continue to support its work across international borders by urging other countries to follow this very successful model."
October 2003
Jim Paice, MP for South East Cambridgeshire
"The Cambridge-based Internet Watch Foundation has done a wonderful job in reducing the number of child pornography websites hosted in this country. We must build on this success and work on ways to bar access to illegal images which originate from abroad."
July 2004
Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Ross, Sky and Inverness West
"The Internet Watch Foundation is an excellent example of how successful self-regulation can be in removing 'net-nasties' and blocking access to controversial sites. Extending similar schemes would be more effective than heavy-handed government intervention. The UK internet industry is by and large very responsible. Government has to work in partnership with the industry otherwise we run the risk of driving those that need to be controlled overseas".
July 2001
Police
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
"CEOP welcomes the IWF’s new Hotline figures which can provide UK and international law enforcement agencies with more intelligence than ever before to inform the global fight against the proliferation of child abuse images on the internet."
July 2006
Len Hynds, Detective Chief Superintendent, Head of National Hi-tech Crime Unit
"Creating a safer digital environment requires genuine partnership. The IWF plays a pivotal role in the fight against online child abuse; and much of our success is attributable to the excellent working relationship we have established."
November 2003
Stuart Hyde, Assistant Chief Constable, ACPO lead for the Protection of Children on the Internet
"I would like to record my sincere appreciation for the excellent work of the IWF. Behind the scenes the staff work tirelessly to help make the internet a safer place. Their link with industry and future technology is of paramount importance in helping us achieve our aim of protecting children and prosecuting offenders."
December 2003
Industry
Nick Lansman, Secretary General, Internet Service Providers Association
"ISPA UK’s work with the IWF has shown consistent and ongoing success as evidenced by the IWF’s 2006 figures. The UK Internet industry is leading the world in the development of a safer Internet. Technological research and development from within the UK Internet industry has made great strides towards curtailing the availability of child abuse images on the Internet."
July 2006
Malcolm Hutty, Head of Public Affairs, the London Internet Exchange
"LINX, one of the world's largest ISP membership organisations, is proud to be a founding member of the IWF and to continue its support. The IWF demonstrates the industry's commitment to the fight against the uniquely unacceptable presence of child abuse material online. As a result of concerted industry action, with the support of the IWF Hotline, we have almost eradicated child abuse material from hosting in the UK, with only 0.4% of this year’s reported material found here. That success is why we are pleased that Hotlines based on the IWF model are now blossoming in other countries."
March 2006
Jessica Hendrie-Liano, Chair, ISPA UK
"ISPA is pleased to continue its support for the IWF and welcomes the increasing involvement of ISPs showing united industry backing for the IWF and its sterling work in combating child abuse images on the internet."
November 2003
Adrian Cox, CEO, Ask Jeeves
"At Ask Jeeves, we met the challenge of supressing key words head on. The keyword list supplied by the IWF was implemted very quickly and our service now completely blocks certain keywords from delivering and results. Our ongoing relationship with the IWF ensures we are always updating our site to ensure compliance within the search market."
October 2003
Hamish MacLeod, Mobile Consultant and IWF Board Member
"The IWF has provided much valued input to the mobile operators as we have developed the processes around the Code of Practive and it is very reassuring to know that the resources of the IWF are available to combat illegal content."
October 2003
Sandra Quinn, Corporate Communications, APACS
"The UK banking industry absolutely condemns any use of its cards or services for illegal purposes and works closely with the law enforcement agencies to prevent this. We are particularly pleased to have established a strong working partnership with the IWF during 2033 to strengthen our ability to fight this type of dreadful crime."
December 2003
Mark Squires, Head of Communications, Nokia, UK
"Sound company ethics makes business sense. As market leader and a global company, Nokia takes its responsibilities seriously. We want our customers to feel safe when using our products and reassured that we have a responsible attitude towards something as serious as potentially illegal internet content being exchanged using our handsets."
"Sound company ethics makes business sense. As market leader and a global company, Nokia takes its responsibilities seriously. We want our customers to feel safe when using our products and reassured that we have a responsible attitude towards something as serious as potentially illegal internet content being exchanged using our handsets."
June 2004
Mark Mitchinson, General Manager, Samsung Mobile UK
"When presented with the opportunity to join the IWF there was never any doubt that this was an initiative we were going to support. As a mobile manufacturer we have a responsibility to ensure that our customers are protected when accessing internet content through their mobile phones. We are happy to partner with the IWF and aid them in educating and raising awareness in order to make the internet a safer place for everyone."
February 2004
Childrens Charities & Internet Safety Organisations
John Carr, New Technology Adviser, NCH
"Globally the UK has gained a huge and well deserved reputation for the dramatic and highly effective way it has tackled child pornography on the internet. The lion's share of the credit for that must go to the IWF."
July 2006
John Carr, New Technology Adviser, NCH
"The success of the alliance between the IWF, industry and police is evidenced by the lack of child pornography found on UK-based servers. But NCH believes there is still far too much child pornography and everyone has a role to play in combating it. Every time a website with an indecent image of a child is accessed, or an illegal image is sent, a child is being abused."
Diana Sutton, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, NPSCC
"The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is clearly getting the message across that it is everyone’s responsibility to report illegal material and tackle internet crime – and demonstrates what law enforcement agencies, NGOs, voluntary agencies, industry and the public can achieve by working together."
March 2006
Media
Michael Nutley, Editor, New Media Age
"In a highly charged emotional climate, the IWF has a vital role to play in keeping media attention focused on the facts of paedophile images online. It's hugely important that magazines like New Media Age report this issue in a mature and non-sensational way and the IWF is a crucial resource in enabling us to do so."
December 2003
Page Created: Tue, October 5th, 2004
Page Modified: Mon, December 31st, 2007
