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Internet users unsure of how to react to child sex abuse content

New figures have shown that over three quarters (77 per cent) of UK adult internet users who have come across images of children being sexually abused are unsure how to report them.

According to the data from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), 100 per cent believe such content should be removed or blocked despite most not knowing where or how to report it.

"They're not sure where to report it, if they have accidently stumbled across illegal content and they don't know what to do about it and therefore didn't do anything," said a spokesperson from IWF.

"The law protects you if you have accidently stumbled, but it doesn't protect you if you seek out this material even if it is to report it to the IWF," clarified the spokesperson.

Some people get exposed to such content through spam or as a result of online security exploitation by cyber crooks and IWF says people should not shy away from reporting to authorities.

Since 2003 less than one per cent of internet child pornography reports have been traced to UK hosts.

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