Content Assessment Appeal Process

The process set out below covers an appeal against the assessment of all potentially criminal content categories within the IWF’s remit following:

The issue of a notice to remove content or
Access to content (*1) being blocked through the inclusion of a child sexual abuse related URL on the Child Sexual Abuse Images and Content URL List.

Any party with a legitimate association (*2) with the content or a potential victim or the victim’s representative, hosting company, publisher or internet consumer who believes they are being prevented from accessing legal content may appeal against the accuracy of an assessment.

To make an appeal against the IWF’s assessment of content regarding a notice to remove that content please email complaints@iwf.org.uk with the following details:

The name of the hosting or service provider
The IWF Serial Number on the notice to remove the content (if you/the company you represent received the notice)
The complete URL/s of the content which has been removed (if you are not the recipient of the notice but have a legitimate association with the content (*2))
Your full contact details
Any further details regarding your complaint or reasons for appealing a content assessment by the IWF

To make an appeal against the inclusion of a URL on the IWF’s Child Sexual Abuse Images and Content URL List please email complaints@iwf.org.uk with the following details:

The complete URL/s you are attempting to access
Your internet service provider (ISP)
The date/time access was attempted
Your full contact details
Any further details regarding your complaint or reasons for appealing a content assessment by the IWF

The

process (PDF 149KB) will be as follows:

An IWF Director is made aware of the appeal and a record is created.
The content is re-assessed (This will be undertaken by a suitably trained IWF Manager not involved in the original assessment decision).
If the original assessment decision is reversed and the appeal is upheld the appellant is informed and appropriate remedial action is taken i.e. notice to takedown is repealed or URL is removed from the IWF URL List.
If the original assessment decision is not reversed and the appellant wishes to continue their appeal then the content is referred to the relevant lead police agency for assessment.
If the URL is likely to or has triggered a significant risk (*3) then the URL will be temporarily removed from the IWF URL List.
The police agency’s decision will be communicated to an IWF Director who will act in accordance with the agency’s assessment. The agency’s decision is final.
The appellant is informed.
If the original assessment decision by IWF is reversed and the appeal is upheld appropriate remedial action is taken i.e. notice to takedown is repealed or URL is removed from the IWF URL List.
The Board will be informed whenever an assessment decision is reversed following a referral to the relevant police agency. (It is not possible for the Board to make a decision relating to assessment of images as to do so would require Board members to view content that they are not trained to assess).

(*1) Only child sexual abuse content is listed for blocking and the assessment is in accordance with the Sentencing Council Guidelines
(*2) A party affected by the issue of a notice or blocked by the addition of a URL to the IWF URL List
(*3) See IWF URL List Policy and Procedures

To find out about the process by which decisions are made regarding the listing or non-listing of URLs containing potentially criminal child sexual abuse content please see the IWF URL List Policy and Procedures.

To make a general complaint about the IWF’s service delivery including the behaviour of members of staff please see the IWF General Complaints Process.