Illegal material
Put simply, the internet is a publicly accessible network
connecting millions of computers.
While this has made the internet the great resource it is today,
it has unfortunately also led to the publication of both illegal
and offensive material.
Internet Watch Foundation
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) operates the
UK internet Hotline for reporting criminal online content. Their
remit covers three areas:
- Child sexual abuse images hosted
worldwide
- Criminally obscene adult content hosted in the
UK
- Non-photographic child sexual abuse images
hosted in the UK
- In partnership with police,
Government, the internet industry, and international partners, the
IWF works to remove criminal content online and helps to make the
internet a safer place for everyone.
Reporting illegal material
We would encourage you to contact us to report material you think is
illegal. However please try to distinguish between material you
find offensive and that which is illegal as we can only act on the
latter.
UK police forces can only act if a crime falls within the area
they cover. This means that if the website where the offensive
material is published is outside of Essex, we cannot act on it. If
the site is hosted in the UK we will however make sure the
information is passed to the correct force.
You can also report suspected illegal material which fits into
the categories to the IWF. The foundation has set
up an online reporting system whereby members of the public can
submit their findings anonymously.
If you chose to give your contact details they will be kept
strictly confidential and not passed on to the police without your
permission. You will also be kept up to date with the progress of
your report.
To find out what happens once a report is made, visit the
IWF website.
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