Internet Watch Foundation and Public Interest Registry Extend Online Safety Initiative to Disrupt Criminal 'brands' Selling Child Sexual Abuse

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A new sponsorship programme aims to help domain registrars 'disrupt' criminal businesses

Criminals running commercial child sexual abuse websites will be targeted under a new safety initiative which aims to disrupt their ability to buy domain names for their sites.

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom , Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Public Interest Registry (PIR), the US non-profit that operates the .ORG Top-Level Domain, and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) have announced a new partnership which will empower Domain Name Registrars to disrupt sites dedicated to the commercial distribution and exploitation of online child sexual abuse material.

A registrar is an accredited organisation which sells domain names to the public. Through the expanded partnership with PIR and IWF, all registrars will now be able to access IWF's powerful tools to disrupt the distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) online at no cost. This will help registrars spot when criminal organisations which commercialise child sexual abuse imagery are attempting to set up "brands" with websites registered and used under different top-level domains and notify them when CSAM has been identified.

Domains specifically registered and used for the commercial distribution of child sexual abuse imagery are a deliberate abuse of the Domain Name System (DNS).

By signing up to the program, registrars will be alerted to the existence of dedicated commercial websites. This proactive approach could further disrupt the criminal abuse by making it more difficult for criminal organisations to register sites online.

Kerry Smith, Chief Executive at the Internet Watch Foundation, said: "In a world where so much is available to buy online, it is truly appalling to think that children's distress and suffering are seen as commercial opportunities and commodities by organised criminals.

Indeed, there are recognisable brands within this world which trade in online child sexual abuse, making money from the hurt inflicted on real children.

This is where registrars can have such a big impact and help disrupt some of these awful businesses which prolong suffering, and fuel the demand for this content. PIR's sponsorship will have an outsize impact in bringing powerful tools to more registrars."

Jon Nevett, President and CEO of Public Interest Registry, said: "With today's announcement, we are excited to evolve PIR's partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation. Building on the success we have had with registries, expanding access to IWF's services at no cost to the registrar community will be an important step in continuing to identify and remove harmful videos and images of CSAM and creating a safer Internet for all."

Under the sponsorship, registrars will be able to sign up for free access to the IWF Domain Alerts program which provides real-time alerts if child sexual abuse content is detected on a domain they manage to allow for fast removal of content before it is further spread online.

This is an extension of an existing sponsorship which began in February 2024 which saw PIR sponsor other registries and registry service providers with free access to two important IWF services, Domain Alerts and the TLD (Top-Level Domain) Hopping List.

The increased access to these services helped ensure faster, more streamlined disruption to child sexual abuse imagery identified by the IWF and enable quick action to be taken to stop criminals hopping from one domain to another to keep their content online.

Since the initiative began in 2024, 30 registries – amounting to nearly 60 TLDs and more than 53 million domains – have benefitted from the sponsorship, greatly increasing the use of IWF services in this area.

Now, PIR is extending that sponsorship with the IWF to cover domain name registrars in addition to the existing sponsorship for registries which will continue.

Registrar access to these tools will become available in early 2026. To learn more about how your business can get involved, visit iwf.org.uk/membership. Interested Domain Name Registrars can contact the membership team directly at [email protected].

The public is given this advice when making a report to iwf.org.uk/report:

• Do report images and videos of child sexual abuse to the IWF to be removed. Reports to the IWF are anonymous.
• Do provide the exact URL where child sexual abuse images are located.
• Don't report other harmful content – you can find details of other agencies to report to on the IWF's website.
• Do report to the police if you are concerned a child may be in immediate danger.

Do report only once for each web address – or URL. Repeat reporting of the same URL isn't needed and wastes analysts' time.

Notes to editors:

The IWF is the largest hotline in Europe dedicated to finding and removing child sexual abuse material from the internet.

Contact:  Josh Thomas, Press Manager, [email protected] +44 (0) 7377 727058

Parents and carers are encouraged to T.A.L.K to their children about the dangers.

• Talk to your child about online sexual abuse. Start the conversation – and listen to their concerns.
• Agree ground rules about the way you use technology as a family.
• Learn about the platforms and apps your child loves. Take an interest in their online life.
• Know how to use tools, apps and settings that can help to keep your child safe online.

What we do:

We make the internet a safer place. We help victims of child sexual abuse worldwide by identifying and removing online images and videos of their abuse. We search for child sexual abuse images and videos and offer a place for the public to report them anonymously. We then have them removed. We're a not for profit organisation and are supported by the global internet industry.

For more information please visit www.iwf.org.uk.

The IWF is part of the UK Safer Internet Centre, working with Childnet International and the South West Grid for Learning to promote the safe and responsible use of technology.

The IWF works globally to stop child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. If you ever stumble across a sexual image or video of someone you think is under 18, please report to the IWF. Reporting can be done anonymously and confidentially – we don't need your details, just your help.

About Public Interest Registry

Public Interest Registry (PIR) is a nonprofit that operates the .ORG top-level domain—one of the world's largest generic top-level domains with more than 11 million domain names registered worldwide. .ORG is open to everyone, providing a global platform for organizations, associations, clubs, businesses and individuals to bring their ideas to life. PIR has been a champion for a free and open Internet for two decades with a clear mission to be an exemplary domain name registry, provide a trusted digital identity and help educate those who dedicate themselves to improving our world. PIR was founded by the Internet Society (internetsociety.org) in 2002 and is based in Reston, Virginia, USA. Visit www.pir.org for more information.

Media contact: [email protected]

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