What is Report Remove?

By Kirsty Donnelly, Online Service Manager, Childline

Report Remove enables young people under the age of 18 across the UK to report nude images and videos of themselves, with a view to having them taken off the public web and block future uploads. Childline and IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) work together to deliver this vital tool.

Whilst there are statistics available about how many under 18’s share nude images, young people tell us that these are very much underestimated. Whilst education and support is available for young people to understand the risks of doing this, it’s understood that it continues. Perhaps young people are doing it because it seems like fun, or as part of a trusting relationship, or they are feeling body confident and want to celebrate that.

But perhaps it is because they have been pressured, tricked or coerced. Sometimes these nude images are used to blackmail young people, perhaps asking for explicit imagery or even asking for money with the threat of sharing the imagery further. This can leave young people with feelings of regret, embarrassment, and fear. It can affect school performance, sleep and make them want to disappear.

Whatever the reason, it’s important that the young person is able to have control of their image back.

Report Remove is accessed from the Childline website and helps young people under the age of 18 regain that control of their image. It allows young people to report images, videos and web pages that they are worried about, without the help of an adult. Report Remove is highly confidential and it is extremely unlikely anyone will ever know that the young person has used the tool. Reports are made in three easy steps:

Follow the instructions to confirm their age
They may be asked if they want to prove their age using ID, this is optional.
Log in or create a Childline account
Childline will let the young person know the outcome of their report and provide further support where needed.
Submit the image or video
A specialist analyst at IWF will review it.

Where imagery meets the threshold, IWF use the law to remove the imagery from across the public web. The technology they use means that if anyone attempts to upload the same imagery in future, it will be identified and blocked. There are some places that IWF cannot access to remove imagery, such as those stored privately or shared on end-to-end encrypted apps like Whatsapp and Snapchat.

IWF’s action offers ongoing safeguarding for the young person. If anyone is using the imagery to threaten or blackmail them, it takes some of the power away from the blackmailer and gives it back to the young person.

Childline will give the young person information on what happens with their report and offer emotional support around their experiences. Some young people talk in confidence to the Childline counsellors, some might choose to use the website’s self help tools like the Calm Zone or Coping Kit. Some might also choose to talk to other young people on Childline’s message boards.

What you can do:

Have a look at the Report Remove tool on the Childline website. Be familiar with where it is, should you ever need to tell someone about it. When a young person loses control of a nude image of themselves, it can be very distressing. It's important that young people don't feel judged when this happens and you should reassure them. Professionals should also follow their organisation’s child protection procedures.
Listen to the NSPCC Learning Report Remove podcast
Share the Report Remove video with your children or young people you work with
Resources are available to print from the NSPCC Learning site if you are a professional working with under 18’s, with specific leaflets, posters and wallet cards for law enforcement.

Report Remove is currently a nominee for a Children and Young People Now award for safeguarding

This blog is part of our Fearless Scotland sextortion campaign. You can learn more about the campaign: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/fearless/professionals/fearless-scotland/sextortion-campaign