Ep 49 Category A Child Sexual Abuse Material Is Rising

AboutCONSENT™

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is an organization based in the United Kingdom that works to combat the distribution of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and other illegal content. Established in 1996, the IWF operates as an independent, self-regulatory body supported by the internet industry, law enforcement agencies, and the government.

The main objective of the IWF is to minimize the availability of CSAM on the internet and protect children from online exploitation. They achieve this by actively searching for and removing illegal content hosted on websites worldwide. When the IWF identifies explicit or abusive material, they work closely with internet service providers (ISPs) to have the content blocked or taken down.

The IWF also operates a hotline that allows members of the public to report suspected instances of CSAM found online. These reports are assessed by the IWF's analysts, who then take appropriate action to have the illegal content removed and ensure that the relevant authorities are notified.

Additionally, the IWF plays a vital role in providing support and guidance to internet industry partners, helping them establish policies and practices to prevent the distribution of illegal content on their platforms. They collaborate with law enforcement agencies both nationally and internationally, sharing information and intelligence to aid in investigations and prosecution of offenders.

Learn more about the foundation here.

Read the blog post I review in the episode here.

This episode was brought to you by CONSENTparenting.

Learn more about CONSENTparenting here.

TIME STAMPS:

Introduction of the episode. (0:00)

The Internet Watch Foundation’s report. (2:02)

What are the categories of indecent images? (3:44)

Explaining the definition of child sexual abuse. (6:08)

The results of the investigation. (10:44)

What objects were being used for penetration? (12:03)

A global crisis of our era. (14:06)

Is child sexual abuse on the rise? (18:02)

The rise of online abuse. (19:57)

What is online safety? (22:15)