Information Technology
Registries using Internet Watch Foundation, Public Interest Registry protections triple in crackdown on commercial child sexual abuse gangs
CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom , Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A "landmark" drive to target criminal gangs exploiting 'loopholes' to keep child sexual abuse online has seen the number of domain registries using Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) services triple in six months.
In February, Public Interest Registry (PIR), the US non-profit that operates the .ORG Top-Level Domain, joined the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in a push to give all Domain Name Registries free access to tools to disrupt sites dedicated to the commercial distribution and exploitation of online child sexual abuse material.
The sponsorship agreement has seen PIR sponsor other registries and registry service providers with free access to two important IWF services: Domain Alerts and the TLD (Top-Level Domain) Hopping List.
Since PIR and IWF first launched the partnership, the partners have tripled the number of registries that have access to IWF tools to stop child sexual abuse material. In February 2024 , only 11 registries received IWF Domain Alerts. Now, thanks to PIR's sponsorship, an additional 20 registries take services. This means 31 registries now benefit from IWF protection, helping keep criminal content off an additional 52 top level domains with nearly 37.9 million domains under management at no cost to participating registries.
Crucially, these tools allow more registries to take action top level domain hopping - a practice by which criminal sites are taken offline, only to reappear, often with the same content and same name, but under a different top-level domain.
For example, someone registers the site "BadAbuseSite" in one top-level domain, the domain is suspended, and then "BadAbuseSite" is registered again in another top-level domain.
The new program makes the TLD Hopping List – which targets the criminal sites that the IWF identified as recognisable abuse "brands" – available free of charge for the first time to all registries. With more registries having access to the lists, there will be fewer places for criminals running abuse "brands" to try to register their sites.
, said:
PIR is providing this sponsorship in furtherance of its non-profit mission to serve as an exemplary Domain Name Registry.
said:
The PIR sponsorship also gives top level domain registries free access to the IWF's Domain Alerts program, which provides real-time alerts to participating registries if child sexual abuse content is detected on a domain they operate.
says .
This ensures fast removal of content before it is further spread online. For domains flagged as having sites dedicated to the distribution of the abusive content, the registry can act directly and suspend the domain.
Other sites identified as having harmful content possibly added by third-parties, but not dedicated to the distribution of the abuse materials, will be notified and can remove the harmful content to avoid suspension of the domain.
To learn more about how your business can get involved, visit iwf.org.uk/membership. Interested Domain Name Registries can contact the membership team directly at members@iwf.org.uk
Do report only once for each web address – or URL. Repeat reporting of the same URL isn't needed and wastes analysts' time.
Notes to editors:
The IWF is the largest hotline in Europe dedicated to finding and removing child sexual abuse material from the internet.
Josh Thomas, Press Manager, josh@iwf.org.uk +44 (0) 7377 727058
We make the internet a safer place. We help victims of child sexual abuse worldwide by identifying and removing online images and videos of their abuse. We search for child sexual abuse images and videos and offer a place for the public to report them anonymously. We then have them removed. We're a not for profit organisation and are supported by the global internet industry.
For more information please visit www.iwf.org.uk
The IWF is part of the UK Safer Internet Centre , working with Childnet International and the South West Grid for Learning to promote the safe and responsible use of technology.
The IWF works globally to stop child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. If you ever stumble across a sexual image or video of someone you think is under 18, please report to the IWF . Reporting can be done anonymously and confidentially – we don't need your details, just your help.
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