A significant development in the child online safety sector has been announced through a new partnership between UK-based company SafetyMode and the Internet Watch Foundation (‘IWF’), aimed at strengthening protections for children using smartphones and digital platforms.
SafetyMode develops child-focused smartphone technology designed to provide young people with the benefits of digital connectivity while reducing their exposure to harmful online content. Its software, which is used on the OtherPhone device co-designed with Mumsnet, uses real-time artificial intelligence to monitor and block inappropriate content across applications and Internet platforms.
IWF is a UK-based independent charity and child protection organisation whose primary purpose is to identify, assess, report, and help remove online child sexual abuse material (‘CSAM’) from the Internet. It works closely with law enforcement agencies, government, technology companies, and international partners to make the online environment safer for children.
On 1 July 2026, SafetyMode became an IWF member. As part of its membership, SafetyMode will integrate a number of specialist intelligence feeds, including the IWF URL List, Non-Photographic Imagery URL List and Keywords List. These resources are designed to identify and block access to known webpages containing CSAM, prevent exposure to non-photographic abuse imagery and strengthen detection of language commonly associated with the sharing of child sexual abuse content.
From a safeguarding perspective, the partnership demonstrates the growing role of proactive technological interventions in protecting children online. Rather than relying solely upon parental supervision or post-incident reporting, the integration of IWF intelligence enables known harmful content to be identified and disrupted before a child can view or interact with it.
The initiative is also significant because it seeks to address a broad spectrum of online harms. In addition to reducing exposure to CSAM, the enhanced protections are intended to assist in safeguarding children against risks such as grooming and sextortion, both of which remain significant concerns for parents, schools and safeguarding professionals. By combining SafetyMode’s AI-based monitoring capabilities with the IWF’s extensive expertise in identifying and disrupting CSAM online, the partnership provides an example of how industry and safeguarding bodies can work together to create safer digital environments for children.
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