The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Aylo, parent company of Pornhub, have established the world’s first Standard of Good Practice for adult pornography websites. This initiative aims to create a “zero tolerance” environment for child sexual abuse imagery, marking a significant step forward in setting and raising industry standards.

On May 17, an expert advisory board led by former IWF Chair Sir Richard Tilt unveiled the new standards. These guidelines, developed over 18 months, outline how adult sites can join the fight against online child sexual abuse by complying with specific measures to prevent the upload and distribution of illegal content.

Under the new standards, adult websites will be required to implement various safeguards, including using artificial intelligence to scan videos being uploaded and verifying that all users are over 18. These measures will be essential for sites seeking membership in the IWF, which serves as the UK’s frontline defense against online child sexual abuse.

Susie Hargreaves OBE, Chief Executive of the IWF, highlighted the collaborative nature of this initiative: “It is clear fighting child sexual abuse imagery online is not a fight we can win alone. The threat is growing all the time, and all allies in this war are welcome. The adult industry has billions of users worldwide and has a clear role to play in making sure the internet is a safe place with a zero-tolerance approach to child sexual abuse imagery.”

Aylo has already integrated several IWF services, such as the URL List, Hash List, Non-photographic Imagery List, and Keywords List, across its platforms. These efforts complement Aylo’s existing safeguards, which include mandatory uploader verification, banning downloads, expanding moderation workforce and processes, and partnering with non-profit organizations worldwide.

David Cooke, Senior Director of Trust and Safety Regulations and Partnerships at Aylo, emphasized the company’s commitment to online safety: “We are proud of our work with IWF to prevent and eliminate illegal material from our sites. All Aylo sites have zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material and know the importance of collective action. Our vision is to lead the world in online Trust and Safety policies and protections, and our unique position in the tech sector allows us the opportunity to take bold, agile, forward-looking steps that can positively impact the entire online space.”

The establishment of these standards comes in the context of the UK’s Online Safety Act, which requires service providers hosting adult content to ensure illegal material, such as child sexual abuse imagery, is not uploaded and is swiftly removed if discovered. This legislation has sparked extensive debate about the responsibilities of both adult service providers and social media sites that allow pornography.

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, who is leading the UK’s Independent Pornography Review, praised the new standards, stating: “These standards, the first of their kind in the world, pave the way for a far more positive and productive relationship between the online porn industry and the child protection sector. These are pragmatic and necessary steps. There is potential to make a huge impact on children’s online safety here.”

The IWF will now work on appointing auditors to assess compliance with the new standards among adult content platforms. Achieving compliance will grant these platforms provisional or full membership in the IWF, allowing them to benefit from a range of tools and services to block, remove, and prevent the spread of child sexual abuse imagery.

Earlier this year, an independent evaluation by the University of Tasmania lauded the success of the IWF’s chatbot, deployed on Aylo’s Pornhub UK site. The chatbot effectively deterred search terms indicating an interest in child sexual abuse imagery, with some users even seeking professional help for their problematic sexual feelings.

Sir Richard Tilt concluded by stressing the importance of rigorous auditing: “Success of the new standards will depend on close auditing to ensure a high level of compliance.”

As the IWF and Aylo continue their partnership, this initiative sets a precedent for the adult industry’s involvement in making the Internet a safer place. The collaboration exemplifies a significant shift towards collective responsibility in eradicating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM).