IWF Awareness Day - 26 October 2011

The Internet Watch Foundation is the UK internet hotline for the public to report their inadvertent exposure to online child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world as well as non-photographic child sexual abuse images, criminally obscene adult content and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK.

IWF was established in 1996 by the UK internet industry and works in partnership with the wider online industry, law enforcement, government, the education sector, charities, international partners and the public to minimise the availability of content within its remit. As a result of this self-regulatory approach, less than 1% of online child sexual abuse content has apparently been hosted in the UK since 2003, down from 18% in 1997.

Through the internet hotline reporting system, the IWF helps the online industry combat abuse of its services through a 'notice and takedown' initiative by alerting them to potentially criminal content within IWF's remit on their systems and enabling the police to investigate those responsible. This self-regulatory partnership approach is widely recognised as a model of good practice in combating the abuse of technology for the dissemination of criminal online content.

For more information or to report a website visit www.iwf.org.uk.