Policy in Europe - Internet Watch Foundation

EU proposals to tackle Child Sexual Abuse

In February, the IWF used Safer Internet Day to urge the European Commission to bring forward their plans to tackle child sexual abuse online following an increase in reports to our Hotline by 374% in just two years, with the majority of the content being hosted in Europe.

In May, the European Commission announced their proposed new regulation to prevent and combat online child sexual abuse. The proposal from the European Commission would create a new independent EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse and would place clear obligations on service providers to detect, block, report and remove child sexual abuse material. The proposal also focusses on prevention and assistance to victims as well as a role for national authorities.

In the same month, IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, in Brussels to discuss the European Commission’s new proposal. Discussions centered around the end of the temporary e-Privacy derogation in 2024 and the need for the proposal to complement existing international structures tackling CSEA online.

IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, in Brussels in May

Alongside the UK Home Office, the IWF presented in August to a delegation from the Czech Presidency which is responsible for progressing the proposal file in the European Council.

In December, the IWF hosted a delegation from the European Parliament, which included the LIBE Rapporteur, Javier Zarzalejos MEP, to discuss strategies to combat child sexual abuse content online.

A group photo of attendees at MEP visit to the IWF office, showing, from left, Deputy Director at the UK Home Office, Christian Papaleontiou; Parliamentary Assistant to Niyazi Kizilyürek MEP, Hakan Choban; IWF Policy and Public Affairs Executive, Jonah Thompson; Secretary General of the European Parliament’s Child Rights Intergroup, Emilio Puccio; UK Home Office Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Unit, Rob Corr; Parliamentary Assistant to Lena Dupont MEP, Anastasija Ore; Parliamentary Assistant to Javier Zarzalejos MEP, Zoe Nubla; Member of the European Parliament, Javier Zarzalejos; and IWF Chief Executive, Susie Hargreaves OBE

Review of the Child Sexual Abuse Directive

The European Commission held a public consultation on its review of EU rules to combat child sexual abuse. The IWF responded to this consultation in July, supporting the European Commission’s intention for both new legislative and non-legislative measures to tackle the spread of child sexual abuse online. You can read the IWF’s response here.

Council of Europe, Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers

In April, IWF CEO, Susie Hargreaves OBE, attended a two-day meeting in Rome to celebrate the launch of the new Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027). She spoke on a panel about protecting children from child sexual abuse and exploitation online

IWF’s 25th anniversary

As well as our UK event, the IWF was in Brussels in April to celebrate our 25th anniversary and to discuss the forthcoming EU legislation to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse. Attendees at the event included Hilde Vautmans MEP, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights, Cathrin Bauer-Bulst, Head of Unit for the fight against cybercrime and child sexual abuse in DG Migration and Home Affairs at the European Commission, Maria Castello-Branco, Vice-Chair of the Lanzarote Committee, Professor Hany Farid from the University of California, Berkeley, IWF Chair Andrew Puddephatt OBE and IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE. Read our release.

From left, speakers at the IWF’s 25th anniversary event in Brussels included Prof Hany Farid from the University of California, Berkeley; Maria Castello-Branco, Vice-Chair of the Lanzarote Committee; IWF Chair Andrew Puddephatt OBE; and Hilde Vautmans MEP, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights. Cathrin Bauer-Bulst, head of unit for the fight against cybercrime and child sexual abuse in DG Migration and Home Affairs shown on screen

MEP Hilde Vautmans speaks at the IWF’s 25th anniversary event in Brussels in April

International Policy

In May, we presented to a delegation of Malaysian parliamentarians from the Parliament Special Select Committee on Women and Children Affairs and Social Development at the National Crime Agency in London, alongside the WePROTECT Global Alliance.

IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE and IWF Head of Policy and Public Affairs Michael Tunks can be seen fourth from left and far right respectively with Malaysian parliamentary members at the NCA in London in May

Forums

The IWF’s opinion is sought internationally. We were also represented on the following forums this year:

At the Parliament and Internet Conference in March, IWF Head of Policy and Public Affairs Michael Tunks spoke on a panel alongside Ben Lake MP, Katie O’Donovan (Google), Emily Taylor (Oxford Information Labs), former Head of Policy at ISPA Till Sommer, and Amy Jordan (Ofcom).

IWF Head of Policy and Public Affairs Michael Tunks, third from left, spoke on a panel at the Parliament and Internet Conference in March, alongside former Head of Policy at ISPA Till Sommer; Public Policy Manager at Google UK Katie O’Donovan; Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion Ben Lake; Emily Taylor, Oxford Information Labs CEO; and Ofcom Director of Technology Policy Amy Jordan

In October, Michael Tunks spoke at the Safer Internet Forum in Brussels and Chief Technology Officer Dan Sexton presented at the European Liberal Forum.

In November, Dan Sexton joined the UK Internet Governance Forum discussion on encryption alongside the ICO and Alec Muffet. Michael Tunks also attended the FOSI conference, World Economic Forum event in Washington DC and the UN Internet Governance Forum.