Internet watchdog to tackle online child abuse

Internet giants are under pressure to tackle online child abuse. Credit: Adam Peck/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Internet companies agreed today that they would search for images of child abuse and taken them down to reverse the spread of sites that are used by paedophiles.

Facebook, BT, Google and others will now attempt to block pictures and films of child abuse online.

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Social Affairs Editor Penny Marshall reports:

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The companies were summoned to Parliament for a meeting with Culture Secretary Maria Miller to decide what action to take on the issue.

Mrs Miller said they had agreed a "fundamental change" to the way the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) works, with the industry-funded body set to adopt a role actively seeking out and blocking child pornography.

The main UK internet service providers (ISPs) have agreed to provide extra funding for the IWF, understood to amount to #1 million, to help it take on the extra duties.Under current arrangements the IWF only acts on content that has been reported to it rather than proactively seeking out illegal images.