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By Joey Gardiner, 15 February 2002 16:25

NEWS A leading member of the Internet Watch Foundation has resigned amid allegations the group is trying to force through draconian new policies which will threaten freedom of speech on the web. The news follows the resignation of two other senior members of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) - the UK body that polices the internet for child pornography - in recent months. Director Malcolm Hutty resigned on Thursday after the group's chairman Roger Darlington forced through a change in its policy on newsgroups. The IWF can now ask ISPs to ban any newsgroups based simply on the name of the group, regardless of the content of the discussions taking place. Until now the group has only acted against newsgroups where actual evidence of paedophilic material has been found. The IWF maintains the new policy is needed to tighten the net on the growing problem of child porn on the web. But Hutty said the new rules would mean groups operating perfectly legally would fall foul of its amended regulations. He said: "I have fully supported the existing policy for the three years I have been a member. This new policy starts banning stuff that is legal. "I'm disappointed by this, obviously. Unfortunately, paedophilia is such a difficult and inflammatory area, that people stop thinking properly." Hutty, who is also a well-known civil rights activist, claims the new policy was forced through without proper discussion in the group. It follows the departure of deputy CEO Ruth Dixon recently and the resignation of vice-chairman Clive Feather at the end of last year. The IWF was formed in 1996 to locate and eradicate child pornography on the internet, in response to fears the police were about to ban newsgroups. Hutty feels the group is now just belatedly acquiescing to their demands: "We've just moved back to what was originally proposed five years ago, which was specifically what this group was set up to avoid." David Kerr, CEO of the IWF, denies that allegation. He said: "This is a radical change for the IWF, but it's one brought about from the industry, not under pressure from the police. "Unfortunately we had a situation where our old methods were becoming ineffective to cope with the scale of the problem."