IWF urges action against child abuse

An internet watchdog has said a concerted international effort could wipe out the majority of websites that host images of child abuse.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said its investigation has identified a core 2,755 sites. Eight in ten of these are commercial operations hosted by organised crime cartels. It said if governments, the relevant authorities, organisations and internet firms worked together they could eliminate these sites.

The IWF, a charity that works in partnership with the Government, police and the internet industry to minimise the availability of illegal content online, admitted that crime gangs running the sites make things hard for the authorities.

To avoid detection the sites are frequently switched between countries and hosting companies. The IWF said this was responsible for the general belief that the number of images of children suffering abuse runs to millions and the problem is so vast it is impossible to deal with.

However the charity, which published its findings today in its annual report, said the problem is not insurmountable. It said now it had proved that these core sites exist, governments and law enforcement agencies have a concrete target to aim at together.

“People often think that taking down these sites is an impossible task but we don’t think this is the case. Our work shows it can be done. The number of sites has remained constant for years and the figure is manageable. We know they are there so if countries work together they could have an impact on closing sites down,” a representative for the IWF said.

The IWF said a worldwide public/private partnership should include the relevant authorities, domain name registries and hosting companies so that skipping between countries would no longer be an option for the gangs.

It also called for increased sharing of good practice between hotlines and the internet industry to remove content quickly and ensure the longevity of these websites is diminished. It would also like to see wider adoption of an initiative to protect internet users by blocking access to child sexual abuse websites.

In 2007 the IWF provided evidence supporting the successful prosecution of seven child sexual offenders and provided 13 evidential statements for ongoing UK police enquiries.

A further 17 reports from before 2007 are still under investigation. In a particularly noteworthy case, IWF intelligence to its US hotline counterpart led to the rescue of three children being sexually abused and their abuser being sentenced to 60 years in prison.

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