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Parental Controls Broadband Internet Matters

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Parental Controls Broadband Internet Matters

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Broadband, mobile and WiFi providers offer filters to limit the inappropriate content a child might see. As these typically have to be set manually, you'll find a comprehensive list of parental control guides that we've created to make this process easier to follow with our step by step videos and visual instructions.

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We've pulled together some guides to help you with setting up and managing broadband and mobile network parental controls.

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Digital Parenting Pro | Parental Controls Guide | Vodafone UK

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Digital Parenting Pro is one of the UK’s largest parental controls & safety settings resources, created by Vodafone & in partnership with Digital Awareness UK.

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YouTube Kids is an app developed by YouTube which aims to deliver age-appropriate content to children. The app is available onAndroid, iOS and some Smart TVs. You can also access YouTube Kids as a web page, rather than an app, here.

Until recently, the content that appeared on the app was predominantly curated by computer-algorithms and essentially the app was a filtered version of the regular body of videos available on YouTube.

However, the app now has some human curation, by the YouTube Kids team, and allows for greater parental control.

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YouTube Kids is an app developed by YouTube which aims to deliver age-appropriate content to children. The app is available onAndroid , iOS and some Smart TVs. You can also access YouTube Kids as a web page, rather than an app, here .

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Two levels of information as a guide : The PEGI age labels

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Kiddle is a safe search engine, offering a safe web, image, and video search. Results are vetted by editors.

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Parent guides | Parent Zone | At the heart of digital family life

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If worried about online abuse

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Are you being bullied?

If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small.

Visit Childline

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Are you being bullied? If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small. Visit Childline

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Are you worried your child has too much screen time? Find out the potential effects it could have on your child with tips and advice to manage limit screen time.

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Age restrictions

In Europe and the UK, the minimum age of use for WhatsApp is 16 years old. It had previously dropped to 13 years old but in April 2018 returned to 16, as a response to data-protection legislation.

Like many age restrictions on social media apps, some children may choose to ignore this and sign up for WhatsApp when they're younger.

WhatsApp's main purpose is to send messages to friends. It isn't public in the same way that Twitter is, and people can only message friends who are already added on their phone. As long as a child only has trusted people as contacts on their phone, it is a relatively safe social media app.

The main thing to discuss with them is how to act in group chats, as here people not in their contacts will be able to see all the messages and send them messages.

Group chats

The group chat function allows up to 512 people to chat in one conversation stream. Each group is set up by one person, known as the group admin, who is the only person who can add or remove participants and change or add further group administrators.

Anybody in the group, even if they're not one of your phone contacts, will be able to see messages that you post, and you will be able to see theirs. If you are added to a group with someone you have blocked, that person will still be able to contact you in the group chat.

You can't always control if you're added to a group chat; but remind children that they can always control their own participation within it - they can leave whenever they want to.

To do this, when on the group's page, tap the three dots in the top right (or the name of the group at the top of the screen on an iPhone), then tap Group info, then EXIT GROUP in the red box at the bottom of the screen (or scroll down to Exit Group on an iPhone).

'View Once' messages

WhatsApp also allows you to send images and videos which can only be viewed once, and this can be done by tapping the 'View Once' button on the image or video you wish to send. All photos and videos sent this way won't be saved to the recipients photo library.

Edited messages

In May 2023 WhatsApp announced that they would be introducing the ability for users to easily edit their messages for up to 15 minutes after sending.

Although messages which have been changed will be accompanied by an 'edited' note next to them, users will no longer be able to see what the message said previously.

WhatsApp haven't announced if the platform themselves will keep a history of edits. If there's no way of seeing the previous content of a message (besides a screenshot at the time of receiving the message) then this will mean that it's more difficult to have evidence of messages which are harassing or involve bullying.

It may also mean that children are more prone to send a hurtful message if they believe they can quickly edit it afterwards (and avoid repercussions).

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Age restrictions In Europe and the UK, the minimum age of use for WhatsApp is 16 years old. It had previously dropped to 13 years old but in April 2018 returned to 16, as a response to data-protection legislation.

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Access information and resources for parents and carers on keeping your child safer online including conversation starters and video guides.

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A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation with your whole family about how you all use the internet, and to start discussions together around how to behave in a positive way when online, whether this is at home, at school or at a friend's.

Our family agreement provides a list of things to consider when creating a family agreement, and some examples to get you started. An agreement template is also provided to help families set clear expectations for positive and safe internet use.
For more information about how to put the family agreement into practice visit our blog.
Online Safety Agreement

Alternatively you may need an online safety agreement which doesn't cater to a family audience. The internet is a very important part of our lives today and setting up an agreement can help ensure that everyone within your organisation/ group are safe when navigating the online world.

This online safety agreement is designed to be used in a variety of settings, including:

youth groups and clubs

residential settings (eg boarding houses)

educational settings (eg libraries)

for professionals supporting vulnerable young people (eg foster carers)

You can find a template for this below.

For

Type

Donate

Even a small donation can support the development of our online safety resources and help our Education Team to connect with more children and young people.
Donate

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A resource to support families in staying safe online.

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Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

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Downloadable booklets to guide you through your profile settings in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. It helps you control how your profile appears, what your friends and other people can see, and how to report problems.

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What is Gaming?

Gaming refers to playing electronic games, whether through consoles, computers, tablets, smartphones or other devices. To this day, gaming remains one of the most popular forms of entertainment, attracting a wide range of age groups from all across the world. Gaming is always looking to develop, often improving on graphical features, accessibility and user engagement as years go by.

Much like music and film, gaming covers a wide variety of genres, appealing to an array of different audiences and interests. Many games allow users to interact with others online through competitive or cooperative play, as well as communication features to allow more sociable interactions.

In more recent years, gaming has extended into a more professional status with many gamers taking part in tournaments to compete for cash prizes. E-sports, a collective name for competitive gaming has seen a tremendous rise amongst children and young adults in recent years, even so that the Olympic games are considering adding E-sports to the Olympic roster in the future.

As of today, gaming is the biggest entertainment industry in the world. We must not forget that like music and film, it is classed as entertainment. Similar to those, it is important to recognize age appropriate content and consider how suitable it is for children.

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Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

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Gaming refers to playing electronic games, whether through consoles, computers, tablets, smartphones or other devices. To this day, gaming remains one of the most popular forms of entertainment, attracting a wide range of age groups from all across the world. Gaming is always looking todevelop, often improving on graphical features, accessibility and user engagement as years go by.

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Campaigning for change

We fight to change laws to make society safer for children. Our Wild West Web campaign has pushed for new regulations through the Online Safety Bill to make sure websites, apps and games are safe for children to use. But the draft Bill doesn't go far enough to protect children.
Help us end the Wild West Web

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Understanding online safety is tricky for all ages - we have advice and guides to help you learn about staying safe online as a family.

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Set up parental controls on devices and platforms | Internet Matters

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Set up parental controls on a range of devices and platforms to help children develop key online safety and digital literacy skills.

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Ranging from high tech devices to cardboard phone holders, you may have seen Virtual Reality (VR) headsets on TV, at friends' houses, or even have one yourself.

Whatever experience you have with VR, this blog looks to cover the key things parents and carers need to know, as well as some considerations about keeping your children safe when using VR.

What is VR?

VR is a relatively new technology that allows users to fully immerse themselves in a virtual, computer generated world. Users can use headsets to transport themselves to different settings, ranging from realistic cities or locations, to spaceships or a favourite game or movie.

By using screens within headsets, users are fully surrounded by the virtual sights and sounds, and can move and explore by physically moving in the real world.

VR headsets are becoming more widely available, and there is even new equipment out there that allows users to touch and feel things in VR too.

Why do young people like using VR?

VR headsets are an exciting new piece of technology that young people may be increasingly experiencing.

There are many reasons people, both younger and older, may enjoy using VR - not just for fun and leisure, but also for practical and educational reasons too.

From riding on a rollercoaster in space, to transporting back in time to explore Ancient Rome, VR gives a lot of opportunities to experience new things and find out information in an exciting way.

Many young people use VR headsets to play games. Interactive games within VR range across genres, age ratings and interactivity. Many VR games require users to use handsets and headsets to act out actions within a game, and to physically move in the real world in order for the character or avatar to move within the game.

Movement stretches beyond just walking in many VR experiences: for instance, handheld controllers can be linked with the headset to enable using your arms to play tennis, for instance.

What are the age restrictions around VR?

Many VR headsets have a minimum age restriction of 13 years old - this is due to a range of physical and legal restrictions around using this technology.

VR headsets need to take in and process information about us, like where we move and what we look at, for them to work. They also collect data on how long we look at things, ideas about our height and how much our pupils dilate when looking at different things.

It is illegal for companies to collect this data from under 13s in the UK without parental consent, which is why the minimum age to use most VR headset is 13 years old.

Considerations for using VR with young people

If you decide to get a VR headset for your family, or are thinking about getting a headset with a lower age rating, there are some considerations you can take to help keep your family safe when using this technology.

The content young people might see or experience in VR

VR is designed to make things more realistic and immersive, so violent or gory visuals may be frightening.

Research and test any VR games or experiences before your children use them. Check the age ratings of the games they want to play or apps they want to use on sites such as PEGI or The Family Gaming Database.

It is safest to stick to solo experiences (e.g. one player games) and avoid 'open' digital spaces where they might interact with people who may not be kind and considerate.

You can also stream what they are seeing on to a TV screen. Search how to do this for the devices you have.

Risk of injury

As VR relies on a user moving in the offline world, users can get carried away and physically injure themselves or knock over things in the home.

Although it may not be a problem for adults, VR headsets can be heavy for younger children and as using VR requires physical movement they may find it difficult or uncomfortable to use technology in this way.

Clear the area where you are using VR, including furniture and cables. Keep an eye on them too, as you can redirect them if they get too close to trip hazards!

Physical discomfort using the headset

The headsets used to interact within VR are often designed to be used by adults rather than young people, this can mean that the devices themselves can be heavy for younger users.

Talk to your child about how they feel when using the VR headset and set clear steps they can take if they feel uncomfortable. This could include taking off the headset, only going on for specific amounts of time, or talking to an adult.

VR sickness

Similar to 'car sickness' VR headsets can make some users feel queasy when using them. Some users find the movement makes them feel nauseous.

Warn your child that this could happen and to take the headset off if they start to feel unwell.

Contact from other users

Users of all ages can mix and there are not effective age restrictions in place.
Not all users are kind and considerate.

When interacting with users in "open" spaces, they may say something inappropriate, or young people may overhear swearing and other unsuitable content.

Some VR headsets allow you to create a virtual bubble around your game character.

There is often the option to 'teleport' to a safe space or another VR world if other users are an issue.

It is possible to block and mute other users too.

Getting help and reporting in VR

Online safety in VR is improving, but platforms are also keen on creating new experiences and getting more users.

If you want to approach your child about online safety matters and VR, why not create a Family Agreement? It'll give you a chance to model positive uses of technology that you use yourself, and support your child in learning about and using the safety features in the technology that they use.

The most important thing is to make sure your child knows to turn to you if something worries them online, and having a conversation about life online can help them remember this.

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Virtual reality - a guide for parents and carers | Childnet

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Many VR headsets have a minimum age restriction of 13 years old - this is due to a range of physical and legal restrictions around using this technology.

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Offer your children support and guidance with our range of online safety guides

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What to do if your child comes to you needing help and where to report specific online concerns.
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Advice for parents and carers to help support children and young people in their safe and responsible use of the internet.

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Struggling to keep up with the apps, games, and websites your kids are using? Common Sense's Parents' Ultimate Guides can help keep you up to date and answer your questions about all the latest platforms and trends. Whether you're trying to figure out if a new app is safe for your teen or if a popular game includes blood and gore, we've got you covered.

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Struggling to keep up with the apps, games, and websites your kids are using? Common Sense's Parents' Ultimate Guides can help keep you up to date and answer your questions about all the latest platforms and trends.

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The Internet Matters Tech Guide provides parents with instruction for improving safety for current and emerging technologies.

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UK Safer Internet Centre Parent and Carers

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UK Safer Internet Centre Parent and Carers

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Parents and Carers - UK Safer Internet Centre

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Tips, advice, guides and resources to help keep your child safe online

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Supporting professionals working with children and young people

Co-funded by the European Commission, The Professionals Online Safety Helpline (POSH) was set up in 2011 to help all members of the community working with or for children in the UK, with any online safety issues they, or children and young people in their care, may face. So if you work with children and young people, we're here to help you.

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Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

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Co-funded by the European Commission, The Professionals Online Safety Helpline (POSH) was set up in 2011 to help all members of the community working with or for children in the UK, with any online safety issues they, or children and young people in their care, may face.

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Guidance on responding to incidents and safeguarding children and young people

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This non-statutory advice aims to support designated safeguarding leads (or equivalents) and senior leadership teams in education settings in England in responding effectively to incidents involving the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes.

It includes guidance on:

risk assessing incidents

safeguarding and supporting children and young people

handling devices and imagery

recording incidents, including the role of other agencies

providing education on the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes

This advice is non-statutory and should be read alongside the Department for Education's:

A one-page summary of how to respond to incidents is also available for all members of staff in education settings.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people

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Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

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How can I teach my child the difference between fact and fiction?

As time moves on and technology evolves, so does the way technology is used. For example, AI (artificial intelligence) continues to change and find more use among all digital users.

Additionally, there are concerns around AI, CGI (computer generated images) and deepfakes, where images of individuals are mapped onto the face of an adult (pornographic) performer. These videos feel real, making it very difficult to tell if they are fake.

Within CGI, we also see a rise in fake influencers. For example, AI social media influencer, Lil Miquela, at one point had 1.6 million followers. It isn't difficult to see that Miquela was computer generated in videos. However, you may be forgiven for thinking the images are of a real person with over-used filters. What's more, advertising agencies are used the likes of Lil Miquela to 'influence' their products.

How can I help them think critically?

So, why use CGI? I'm sure there are many reasons (e.g. you don't have to pay a real influencer), but advertisers have also always used cartoons to engage children and young people. As such, this just seems a modern version of that, albeit more realistic.

Then, how do you teach your child what is and isn't 'real' online?

It all comes down to critical thinking - the same logic we apply to any area of our lives. Ask children:

What is the purpose of this image/video?

What is the social media influencer trying to persuade their followers to do?

Why is the influencer talking about this particular product?

What can parents do to help children think critically on YouTube?

YouTube and YouTube Kids offers amazing opportunities for children. However, there is always the potential for something unsavoury such as inappropriate content or people (real or virtual) trying to influence the children to say, do or buy something.

You can help them become critical thinkers while staying safe with the following actions:

Watch a few of their favourite channels with them and discuss why they favour those channels. Talk to them about critical thinking by using simple questions such as those above.

If they are using YouTube to view videos about their hobbies, search together and discuss why you feel certain videos or channels are inappropriate. Children need to know what the boundaries are, and they will only know if you tell them.

Browse through the history every now and again just to satisfy yourself that nothing is untoward.

Let them know to come to you if something isn't right; let them know that you won't judge them or take away their device if they ask for help.

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How can I help my child think critically about social media influencers?

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With the growth of online influencers, real and AI robots, our experts provide advice on how to help children think critically about what they see online.

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Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

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Questions, answers and tools to help you make the most of your time online.

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Making the internet a great and safe place for children

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Be Internet Legends - A Program to Teach Children Internet Safety

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Be Internet Legends - A Program to Teach Children Internet Safety

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Be Internet Legends is a multifaceted program that includes a fun and free of charge web-based game called Interland and an educational curriculum to teach children how to be safe and responsible explorers of the online world.

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The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse.

We do this through our education programme, providing training, resources and information to professionals working with children, young people and their families.

I am:

Respecting me, you, us: building healthy relationships and creating positive cultures is a CEOP Education resource for 12 -14 year olds developed in association with clinical psychologist, Dr. Elly Hanson.

Under 18 and worried about online sexual abuse?
To report, click to visit the CEOP Safety Centre.

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The CEOP Education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Education Team aims to protect children and young people aged 4-18 from online child sexual abuse.

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TALK Checklist by Internet Watch Foundation

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Children with SEND | TALK Checklist by Internet Watch Foundation

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Online abuse of children with send What you need to know Online sexual abuse is a serious issue for all children - especially for those with additional vulnerabilities. Young people with SEND could be at greater risk. Here, we explain how you can help children with SEND to stay safe online.

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Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

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SWGfL Partners with Schillings on New Online Safety Bill Guide

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We have created a new, easy-to-understand guide to the Online Safety Bill with leading crisis management firm Schillings. Read more here:

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The internet has changed the way we shop, especially for the children in our lives. But, if you're looking to pick up a device for your child, it can be tricky to know where to start.

From Nintendo Switches to Spheros, we've broken down how each product works and how to set them up with online safety in mind. With expert advice and parental feedback, you can choose the right product, safely.

Select from laptops, smartwatches, phones and gadgets; simply pick the category you're interested in purchasing.

In each guide, you'll find expert-led reviews and parent-approved feedback with online safety in mind. Pick the product that's right for you and your child and discover the steps you can take to ensure they're only accessing what's age-appropriate and safe.

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The Internet Matters Tech Guide provides parents with instruction for improving safety for current and emerging technologies.

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Report and remove images

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Content warning: This section includes graphic sexual descriptions.

A nude image must include one of the following to be removed:

nude or semi-nude sexual posing

someone nude or semi-nude touching themselves in a sexual way

any sexual activity involving a child

someone hurting someone else sexually

sexual activity that includes animals.

Where possible, it is better if you can upload the original image or video, or a copy of it, rather than a photograph of it on another screen. This helps IWF find the image more accurately.

If you want to report something that isn't a nude image or video to see if it can be taken down, you can see more information from Childline about deleting things shared online here. You can make a report to CEOP, the part of the police who are there to support children and young people online. You can always speak to a Childline counsellor.

Confirming your age with ID gives us more legal powers to remove images from as many places as possible. If you don't have ID or feel comfortable using it, we can still take down images, but from fewer places.

You can use the following ID to confirm your identity using Yoti:

passport or biometric residence permit

driving licence and provisional licence

Young Scot Card (Yoti app only)

CitizenCard (Yoti app only).

If you don't have any of these, you can get a young person's ID card. You'll be able to get this for £5 with the promo code NSPCC5. Make sure you choose 'Yoti CitizenCard' on the first page.

Whatever ID you use, please make sure that it is valid and in-date.

IWF will read all reports within one working day, from Monday to Friday. The time it takes to get your image removed from the internet can be different depending on where the image is hosted.

If the image is on a UK-based website it can often be removed within 2-3 hours. Unfortunately, in some countries it can take longer - sometimes days or weeks. But IWF analysts will always try to make sure it happens as soon as possible.

We'll do our best to let you know once your image has been removed by sending a message to your  Childline locker.

We recommend you check your locker every few days after you make a report. This is so you can see if your image has been removed, and so Childline can let you know if IWF need more information to be able to remove it. Remember, IWF can't contact you directly.

If you need support to help you cope while you're waiting, you can also speak to a Childline counsellor any time.

When you use Report Remove, your image or video is shared with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). They'll work to get your image removed from the internet. See 'Who are the IWF?' to learn about how that happens.

Most of the time, nobody will know that you've made a report and your report won't be shared with anyone else.

If the police already have the image or video you report, then they might investigate what's happened. Only the police can decide if they'll need to tell someone else.

The police might already have your image or video if:

someone has reported it on another website and that website passed it to the police

they're investigating someone who had or has the image or video already (if someone is found to have your image and is breaking the law - regardless of how, it may be included as evidence in a criminal case against that person

someone else reported the image to them directly.

Remember that the police are there to protect you, not to get you into trouble. If the image has been reported somewhere else and you're worried, you can always  speak to a Childline counsellor.

If you have parental controls on your phone your parent or carer might see when you want to download a new app, so they might get a notification if you try to download Yoti and want to know why. To avoid this, use the second option to prove your age (called 'ID verification').

The IWF can remove images that are public or available to anyone on the internet. However, they won't be able to remove images or videos on encrypted networks like WhatsApp, or which are saved on a person's phone or computer.

If you're over 13 and you've made a report without using ID, then there may be some sites the IWF can't take images down from.

If you don't use ID the IWF can help by removing your image or video from most sites. If you do use ID, the IWF can remove from all sites

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a UK charity, are there to help remove illegal nude images of under 18s posted online.

Once the IWF has confirmed your nude image is against the law and can be removed from the internet they give it a digital fingerprint called a 'hash'. The hash can be used to find your image online even if it has been cropped or slightly changed.

Sharing just the hash with certain trusted companies and organisations, means that technology can be used to find online matches of the image - this is key to trying to stop it appearing in different places on the internet. Even though the hashes and images are shared with UK police, this is so that if they came across the image some other way, they'd know that you also reported it yourself. Report Remove was developed with the full support of the police and no one involved wants to get you into trouble for sharing the image so it can be removed.

Different companies use the hash in different ways. For example, if an illegal image match is found to have been shared by an online account holder, a company may decide to close that person's account as posting illegal images will be against the company's terms and conditions. If your image(s) are found on or are linked to your online user account(s) it may be possible for the company to associate your profile with the images.

The companies that take the hashes trust the Report Remove process, however if they have significant concerns that the person in the image may not be the person who was age verified, they may get in touch with the IWF to raise their concerns.

There are 3 organisations that help you report your image using Report Remove. These are Childline, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and also Yoti if you are 13 or older and choose to prove your age using ID. All of them have a responsibility to keep all of your personal information safe.

1. We'll ask you to choose your age range (under 13, 13-15, 16-17, 18 and over). If you're under 13, you'll go straight to step 3. If you're aged 13 or older, us at Childline will ask you if you have access to ID to prove your age. If you do, you'll be asked to visit Yoti. The only information we will share with Yoti is that you are wanting to prove your age to use Report Remove.

2. Once you prove your age using Yoti, you will come back to Report Remove on Childline. The only information Yoti will share with Childline is confirmation that you're younger or older than 18.

3. We'll then ask you to create or sign in to a Childline account. Then you'll go to the IWF website to share the content you want removed. Childline will only share the information below with IWF:

that you're younger than 18 (either confirmed by Yoti, or that you told us you are younger than 18),

the age range you selected at the start,

a unique number that is created when you use Report Remove.

4. After your report has been passed to the IWF, they will tell Childline if they were able to work to take the images or video down from the internet, and why. This is so Childline can let you know what happened. IWF may also tell Childline some information about what you reported, to help them know how best to support you and keep you safe. IWF will never share an image or video that you report with Childline.

Information you give to Childline
Any information you give Childline will always be treated carefully and in line with our  Privacy Policy. This means that any information you give us as part of Report Remove will only be used to help the IWF review your report and to keep you safe. This will include the age range that you select and a unique number that's created when you go onto the IWF website. We will not share any of your information with Yoti.
Information you give to IWF
The only information you will give to the IWF are the images, videos or URLs you report. There is space to add information such as where the image or video is on a webpage.

They will process this in line with their privacy policy.

Nude images and videos that IWF decide are illegal may be kept by the IWF for up to 2 years. This is because there is an agreement with the Police and CPS (Crime Prosecution Service), called a 'Memorandum of Understanding' (MOU). Illegal images are given a hash (a string of numbers that are like a digital fingerprint). The hash is shared with organisations such as technology companies who host online content, so that they can look for the image and take it down. The actual image is not shared with these companies. The image and the hash are shared with the police who store it on their Child Abuse Image Database. Any images or videos that they decide are not illegal may be kept for a maximum of 6 months for quality checking and any follow up questions. They will then be deleted. Sometimes, even if it's decided that the content isn't illegal, IWF can share the content URL with some industry members to see if they can take the content down.

If you report a URL (link to a webpage), and choose not to prove your age using ID, IWF will still check to see if the content is something they can take action on. If so IWF may share the URL with South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL), who are a charity who help people who have had intimate images of them shared online. SWGfL will never view the content on a URL that is shared with them. SWGfL send a notice to internet companies that host the webpage you reported, to tell them to take it down. This is because IWF can only send a notice to companies to take a specific webpage down when it is confirmed it is of a child. SWGfL can also send notice to take down content, but they do not need to prove it is of a child. This helps get your images or videos from even more places.

Childline will never see what pictures, videos or URLs you share with the IWF. The only information the IWF shares with Childline apart from your case number is whether or not they could take down your images or videos, and why, so we can let you know, as well as information about the image or video that you reported that will help Childline to support you and keep you safe.

Information you give to Yoti
You can choose to use Yoti to confirm your age if you're over 13. This may involve taking a selfie, so Yoti know it is you who are proving your age, and uploading a picture of some ID. Any personal data you send Yoti - like your photo, date of birth or address - is scrambled with a high level of encryption so that even if it was stolen, no one could use it to identify you. The only information Yoti shares with Childline is confirmation that you're under or over 18.

You can see Yoti's privacy policy here, and more information about their age portal here, which is what is used in Report Remove to prove your age.

If you're using the Yoti app, Yoti may use the selfie, month and year of birth you add to the Yoti app to improve its age estimation technology. You can opt out from this in the More> My Data> Biometric consent menu of the app.

There are lots of ways to get help with your report:

if you're having problems with Yoti, you can contact them directly in the app.

if you need any support with making your report send a message to Childline with the title 'Report Remove'.

Childline counsellors are always here for you and want to help. And you can  talk to them  about anything you're going through.
I have a technical issue, what should I do?

Try using your default browser and close private browsing if you're using the Yoti app.

See if you can log in to your locker and send an email to Childline explaining your problem and the team will be able to help.

Make sure the ID you're using is valid and in-date (not expired).

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Use Report Remove to remove a nude image shared online

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Reporting harmful content

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If you've experienced or witnessed harm online we can help. Report Harmful Content can help you to report harmful content online by providing up to date information on community standards and direct links to the correct reporting facilities across multiple platforms

Under 18?
Click here for child friendly advice Get advice on how to report abuse and harassment in sport
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Report Harmful Content - We Help You Remove Content

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Helping anyone who comes across harmful content online

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Reporting Online Grooming

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Are you being bullied?

If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small.

Visit Childline

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Are you being bullied? If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small. Visit Childline

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Worries and concerns

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Sending a message is free, and we'll usually reply within a day. Writing to a counsellor can give you the space to say what you want and to ask questions.

You can say as much or as little as you feel able to. If you're not sure what to write, you could start by including:

A little about yourself, like your name and how old you are

What's been happening or what's on your mind, and how it makes you feel

Any questions you might have, and what you'd like to happen in the future

A title that says what you'd like to talk about

You don't need to write a lot if you don't want to, but it can help to include all the information the counsellor might need to know - if a counsellor needs to ask for more information, it can take longer to get help.

Writing an email can help you to get out your feelings, don't forget you can use your mood journal to record how you're feeling any time.

Call us on 0800 1111. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles in the UK. And they won't show up on your phone bill. Even if you don't have credit on your mobile phone you can still call us for free.

Calls are not recorded and our number won't show up on any phone bills. Counsellors write some notes about what you tell them. Childline is confidential, that means we'll only tell someone else if:

you ask us to

we believe your life or someone else's life is in danger

you're being hurt by someone in a position of trust who is able to hurt other children like a teacher, religious leader, sports coach, police officer or doctor

you tell us that you're seriously hurting another person

you tell us about another child who's being hurt and is not able to tell someone or understand what is happening to them

we're told we have to by law, for example for a court case.

Live in the Channel Islands?
Calls may be chargeable from mobiles and the number will appear on your mobile bill. To call us free from the Channel Islands, try using a landline or phone box. Or contact a counsellor online using 1-2-1 counsellor chat.

Calling from abroad?
If you go abroad and need to contact Childline, you might be charged. But you can still get support and advice from our website.

Calling from Guernsey?
If you're calling from Guernsey and Airtel is your mobile phone provider, you'll need to dial 0044800 1111 to speak to a counsellor.

Lots of young people have told us that talking on the phone feels too scary, or that they're worried about being overheard.

Talking on the phone can help in lots of ways, and the more you do it the easier it can feel. If you want to call but you're struggling, if can help to:

Try dialling the number but not saying anything
This can help you to see what calling is like. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, or you could talk about something that interests you.

Ask questions
When you get through to Childline, you can ask as much as you want about how we work.

Find the best place to talk
Find somewhere quiet where you can focus if you can.

Take your time
Childline counsellors understand that it's not easy to talk, and they can help you to feel more confident. Remember, if you can't talk on the phone right now, you can start by using the 1-2-1 chats or sending an email using your Childline account.

Any time you're ready, you can call us on 0800 1111.

It can take longer to get through at night, but there are things you can do while you're waiting to get the best from your chat:

Write down what you'd like to talk about
Writing down or practicing what you want to say can make it easier when you get through; it can also help you to feel better. If you've written down what you want to say but can't wait, try sending it in an email to us, a counsellor will reply as soon as they can.

Think about what you want from your 1-2-1 chat
For example, would you like to feel differently, or get some tips on how to cope? Thinking about what you want from your chat can help your counsellor support you. But it's always okay if you're not sure what you want.

Choose one thing to focus on
When you've got lots going on it can be difficult talking about it all, focusing on one thing can help you get the most out of your chat.

There are lots of things you can do to cope while you're waiting for a counsellor. Try distracting yourself by playing a game or getting support on the message boards.

If you don't feel able to wait for a counsellor, it can help to talk to an adult you trust.

If you contact us, we'd want to make sure you're safe. So we might ask you where you are and who you're with, as well as how you're feeling. This can help us understand your situation.

We might feel that you're unsafe if you're:

thinking about running away tonight

out and not wanting to go home

out alone late at night with no shelter, food or drink

having thoughts or urges to self-harm or feeling suicidal

harming yourself

taking or are thinking about taking drugs or a lot of alcohol

at risk of being abused overnight

out with a gang, or at risk of being forced to commit a crime or getting hurt.

We want to support you and help you find ways to cope. And we'd always try to let you know if we need to get help to you in an emergency.

If you're worried or need support at night, you could try asking an adult you trust for help.

When you're feeling stressed or upset it can be difficult to know what to do. But there are ways to feel more relaxed while you're waiting to get through to a counsellor.

You can:

sign into your locker to get your feelings out with our mood journal

express how you feel using the Art box

listen to soothing music or make a playlist you enjoy

try our balloon game and watch your worries float away

focus on your breathing to manage your anxiety. Take deep, slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Contact Childline with SignVideo
SignVideo lets you contact a counsellor through a BSL interpreter. You can use it between Monday - Friday, 8am - 8pm and on Saturdays, 8am - 1pm.

How to use SignVideo:

open SignVideo and click "allow webcam"

when you're connected, an interpreter will appear on your screen

you can chat to the interpreter in BSL

they'll translate your conversation to the counsellor.

To be able to see YouTube videos, we have to ask you to accept Targeting Cookies within your Cookie Settings

Contacting us in Welsh / Childline ar gyfer pobl ifanc sy'n siarad Cymraeg
We don't offer a full Welsh speaking counselling service. But we do have some Welsh speaking counsellors. If you contact us (by phone or online) and let us know you'd like to talk to someone in Welsh we can arrange a time for you to speak to a Welsh speaking counsellor.

Childline is a free number, so anyone can call us at any time. Every young person who contacts us is important and we do our best to answer every call as quickly as possible.

A small number of people, often adults, call us for reasons other than getting help or support. We try to stop these calls and help them get support from other places. But sometimes these callers still try to phone Childline again and again. Sometimes so much that it can stop young people getting through.

Because of this we put a limit on the number of times someone can call us from the same phone number in a single day. This is 10 calls in a 24 hour period.

If you do call us more than 10 times in a 24 hour period you'll hear a message telling you that you can't call for another 24 hours.

Even if this has happened you can still get support from our info and advice pages and you can contact using the 1-2-1 counsellor chats or by emailing.

We do our best to answer every call as soon as possible. Sometimes having to wait to get through to a counsellor can be difficult. But it's best to stay on the line if you can. Hanging up and calling back means you'll go to the back of the queue.

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Call us free on 0800 1111 or find out how to get in touch online. Whatever your worry, we're here for you.