Call to take action on child abuse sites

17-04-2008

by Charlie Taylor

A coordinated international effort to shutdown websites that display images of child sexual abuse could achieve real results, the Internet Watch Foundation has said.

Publishing its annual report, the group's chief executive said that action should be taken to ensure that child sexual abuse websites are blocked and that those behind such sites are prosecuted.

The IWF identified a core of 2,755 websites last year which displayed images of children being abused. The organisation said that the total number of websites showing such content has remained relatively static for three years and therefore "represents a concrete target which can be tackled through international partnerships".

The organisation said that 80 percent of the identified websites are commercial operations which frequently change hosting company and region in order to avoid detection.

"These tactics, coupled with the complex multinational nature of the crimes, mean that only a united global response involving law enforcement authorities, governments and the international online sector will enable effective investigation of these websites, their content and the organisations behind them," the IWF said.

Among the recommendations made by the foundation are:

• A worldwide public/private partnership to investigate, disrupt and remove websites that hop server and region and identification of the distributors of this content;
• Increased sharing of good practice between INHOPE (the Association of Internet Hotlines) hotlines and industry to remove content quickly to ensure the longevity of these websites is diminished;
• Wider adoption of an initiative to protect internet users by blocking access to child sexual abuse websites;
• International effort by domain name registries and relevant authorities to de-register domains associated with child sexual abuse.

Last year, the foundation provided evidence supporting the successful prosecution of seven child sexual offenders and provided 13 evidential statements for ongoing UK police enquiries. A further 17 reports from the organisation, prior to 2007, are still under investigation.

In a particularly noteworthy case, IWF intelligence to its US Hotline counterpart led to the rescue of three prepubescent children who were being sexually abused and the sentencing of their abuser to 60 years in prison.

In related news, Google is doing its part to help stamp out child pornography by adapting the technology it has developed to help identify copyright-protected clips on its YouTube website.

Google has customised its copyright software for the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help the organisation identify children in sexually explicit photos and videos.

"Criminals are using cutting-edge technology to commit their crimes of child sexual exploitation, and in fighting to solve those crimes and keep children safe, we must do the same," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. "That is why we are so grateful to Google for providing new tools that will enable the National Centre to better serve law enforcement in battling exploitation and rescuing children."