IWF works alongside Ukraine to help stop spread of child sexual abuse material

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre, has relaunched a special Ukrainian language portal to help fight online child sexual abuse imagery a year on from the start of the Russian invasion.

The portal, relaunched on March 8, provides vital protection against online child sexual exploitation as war continues to hamper efforts to protect children in the country.

The portal allows people to report suspected sexual imagery of children anonymously and safely if they stumble across it online.

Once reported, a trained analyst in the IWF’s Cambridge base will assess the material according to UK law and, if it is confirmed to be criminal, work to have it blocked and removed from the internet.

Anastasiya Dzyakava, Founder of “Stop Sexting”, the NGO which is running the portal in Ukraine, said the portal is so important because, despite the country’s focus being on the war, people are still reporting online child sexual abuse.

“For me, it came as a surprise that, even in war time, people still report. It has really shown us how important and needed this tool is.

“In cases where you cannot always contact the police, the portal is one way to report the materials and know people are going to work hard to help. If you cannot be sure of police or government or state reaction, you have some non-governmental tools that can support you.”

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