Under 18’s now have a new level of protection from the illegal sharing of underage nude photos. They can now report any nude pictures or videos of themselves online through a tool.
Internet Watch Foundation, along with Childline, aims to protect children who are being groomed or whose partner has shared a nude photo. In a “world first” the tool allows people in the IWF to examine the images and remove them if necessary.
The IWF are a charity organisation whose mission is to remove child abuse material from the internet. They understand there are “a number of reasons” why a young person will share a nude photo or video. Many people who share pictures are unaware of the repercussions. That these images can be sent online, or to other people.
Over the past year, IWF has seen more images shared than ever before. Since the start of 2021, 38,000 images have been shared online. This is double the amount of those reported last year. However, for the first time, under 18s can now flag it by reporting it to the Report Remove Tool.
How to report a nude picture?
If a nude picture has already been shared, or a video appears online, users can share the URL to the charity. The charity will then examine the images to determine if a law is being broken. If the image is breaking the law, the IWF can work to remove the image.
However, if the content is offline, then a digital fingerprint for the image can be shared. The hash will go to ChildLine, law enforcement and tech companies to keep an eye out for it. If victims feel they need support, they can leave their details for Childline or report the images anonymously.
Suzie Hargreaves, the head of IWF, says the tool is a “world first”. She hopes the new tool will give young people “the power and confidence to reclaim the images”. Anyone who makes a report can expect feedback, or communication regarding the outcome, within a single day.
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