Internet Industry Supports IWF’s Drive For Internet Users To Use Reporting Tools
Internet users' action imperative to combat illegal online content
Wednesday, 24th October 2007
Research from the Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA UK) – the UK’s leading Internet trade association – shows that more than 1 in 8 people (13 per cent) would do nothing if they found something on the Internet that they thought was illegal.
Only one in four people (26 per cent) said they would surf the Internet to find the most appropriate organisation to report potentially unlawful content.
The UK is leading the world in developing a safer Internet, but it is important to raise user’s awareness to help in the battle against child abuse images and other illegal content on the Internet.
ISPA is supporting the continued efforts of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to enable all UK Internet users to easily report online images of child abuse through the IWF’s ‘Hotline’ by promoting the organisation through a banner ad on the ISPA homepage and carrying IWF Awareness Day details on all ISPA email signatures.
The UK Internet industry has fought against illegal content on the Internet through self regulation, investing in technological advancements and educating consumers. Making the Internet safer is a joint effort between the Internet industry, the Government and its agencies, and importantly end-users and ISPA recognises the particular role the industry has to play.
The IWF was the first organisation in the world created to act as a hotline for the public to report illegal online content. It was established and is funded by ISPA and other members of the UK Internet industry. The IWF is a success story. Less than one per cent of the illegal content the IWF is notified about is hosted on the UK Internet, down from 18 per cent when the organisation was launched in 1997. On the rare occasions that unlawful content is found hosted in the UK, images are quickly removed.
The UK industry has an excellent track record of making the Internet safer through self-regulation. The ISPA Code of Practice was one of the world’s first codes of practice for providers of Internet services and incorporates the IWF’s ‘notice and takedown’ procedure whereby ISPs can remove unlawful content when they have actual knowledge that it is present on their system.
ISPA members regularly invest in educating customers by providing advice and guidance on Internet security issues, such as reporting unlawful content, preventing their PCs from being hacked, and limiting and reporting spam.
Where technically possible, ISPA members block access to images of child sexual abuse which can be done by implementing the IWF’s Child Abuse Image list. This helps to prevent Internet users from accidentally visiting sites containing these images.
However Internet users must use tools like the IWF’s ‘Hotline’ to report online illegal content that they accidentally access on the Internet.
Mrs Hendrie-Liaño, Chair of ISPA Council said, “Internet users have an important role to play and should be aware of the mechanisms available for reporting unlawful content to the appropriate authorities. The current self-regulatory approach has produced exceptional results when dealing with child abuse images in the UK and has been a model for similar approaches in other countries. ISPA members remain committed to supporting the IWF and making a meaningful contribution to their fight against illegal content within its remit”.
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Notes to editors:
The views expressed in this release are those of the Internet Services Providers' Association (ISPA UK) and do not necessarily reflect the corporate policies of the individual companies that are members of the Association or other organisations that may be mentioned in the release.
For further editorial information please contact the ISPA Press Office (020 7340 4535)
About the Internet Services Providers’ Association:
The Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA UK) was established in 1995 as a trade association to represent providers of Internet services in the UK. ISPA promotes competition, self-regulation and the development of the Internet industry. For a list of members or other information about ISPA, please consult the website: www.ispa.org.uk
About the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
The IWF was launched in September 1996 to combat the problem of illegal material on the Internet, with particular reference to child abuse images. It is an independent organisation set up to implement proposals jointly agreed by the Government, the police and Industry. For more information, please consult the website at www.iwf.org.uk