We’re celebrating a decade of partnership with IWF!
NetSupport is proud to mark a decade of partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), having first joined as a member in January 2016. Over the past ten years, this collaboration has played a crucial role in strengthening safeguarding technology and supporting schools and organisations in their efforts to protect young people online.
A core element of this partnership is the integration of the IWF’s Keyword List into our own safeguarding software. The IWF’s grooming and child sexual abuse terminology is incorporated directly into our keyword and phrase monitoring tool, enabling our software to identify content that is typed, copied, pasted or viewed across any application that could indicate a child is vulnerable to exploitation.
To ensure concerns are genuine, all phrase matches are analysed and graded using NetSupport’s contextual intelligence–based risk index. This approach helps staff to prioritise genuine safeguarding risks without overwhelming them with noise. Our keyword libraries are also continuously refreshed through collaboration with charities, safeguarding specialists, local schools and community organisations – ensuring they remain relevant, accurate and responsive to emerging threats.
Reflecting on the milestone, Al Kingsley, CEO of NetSupport, said:
“The IWF is a valued partner in helping us keep young people safe online and we are so proud to be celebrating our 10th year of membership with them. Its research and search databases are truly lifesaving, and we are honoured to support them as they continue to protect children and remove harmful content from the internet.”
Kerry Smith, Internet Watch Foundation CEO, also commented:
“The IWF is delighted to have had NetSupport as a partner since 2016. Since then, improvements in technology and accessibility have only served to heighten the threats faced by children online, which is why our collaboration with tech companies – including the sharing of our Keyword List – is such an essential part of helping to protect survivors, safeguard children and ensuring the internet is a safer space for all. We look forward to another decade of effective collaboration with NetSupport.”
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, NetSupport remains committed to supporting the work of the IWF and to ensuring that our safeguarding tools provide schools and organisations with the most effective, responsible and up-to-date protection possible.