This additional funding will supplement the existing zero tolerance approach to child abuse material online, adding to the existing contributions that each company makes both in relation to the ongoing battle against illegal material online, and investment in technology and awareness raising to help parents protect children in the online world.
The ISPs are already the largest funders of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) making it the most effective Hotline in the world at removing child sexual abuse content, and one of the best funded. The ISPs will work with the IWF to review its activities to see how it can be made even more effective.
The ISPs also already work closely with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre to support its work in eradicating the sexual abuse of children, particularly in relation to online activity.
The companies will work together with Government, IWF and CEOP to establish how best these funds can be spent to tackle the availability of online child abuse content. ISPs have a zero tolerance to this material. This funding will help to target those individuals that create and distribute the content.
The ISPs will continue to build on the good progress achieved under the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, and recognised by the Government’s Bailey Review stocktake, to promote the use of family friendly parental controls each ISP provides its customers.