Zen Internet becomes a member of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)

In a move that will surprise some of the more ardent internet conspiracy theorists, popular independent broadband supplier Zen Internet has become a member of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).

The IWF is an independent self-regulatory body set up in 1996 by the internet industry to combat child sexual abuse content, in partnership with the police and government. It has a hotline and website for the public to report potentially illegal content and is a 'notice and take down' body for the material. It also works closely with similar organisations around the world to help combat the material when it is hosted in other countries.

In more recent times its remit was expanded to include dealing with content that incites racial hatred, while a high profile take down case involving Wikipedia saw it facing a lot of negative press. Despite assurances that the list of sites that host illegal images is independently audited, some have continued to claim the organisation is anything from profiteering to being in league with the FBI.

Some critics of the IWF have held up Zen Internet in the past as some kind of beacon, as it was a large UK ISP that was not a member. However, its reasons for not joining until now are unknown. When asked, Zen told us it was not in a position to discuss its IWF membership at this current time. However, its name now appears on the IWF's public list of members on the foundation's website. The IWF was also unavailable for comment.