Conclusion
Vigilance keeps the Internet a safer place for all
As Internet subscriptions continue to rise and the demand for always-on broadband intensifies it is obvious that more Irish people than ever before, especially children and youths are clicking online. While for most users the experience will be positive the chances are that a small number of Internet surfers will accidentally discover a certain amount of illegal content. Such material represents only a minuscule percentage of all Internet content and the likelihood of users, especially young users, coming across it accidentally is extremely low. However, action is necessary to prevent this material proliferating and, especially in the case child pornography, ISPAI members through Hotline.ie strive to take such material out of circulation. It is therefore vital that users appreciate the necessity of reporting and where they may make such reports.
Public awareness of Hotline.ie and their vigilance is central to keeping up the attack on illegal content and, in the case of child pornography, helps to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. It is vital that the public do not ignore suspected illegal content they encounter or anything that appears to advertise or give direction as to where child pornography exists on the Internet but report it to the Hotline.
A very worrying trend revealed by the Hotline Analysts is the severity of much of the child pornography content reported. Despite the fall in reports this year, a high proportion of those confirmed as child pornography are in the highest severity categories, and has not fallen from the proportion observed in 2006 and 2007.
Vigilance contd.
A related cause for concern is the lack of reporting by the public of suspect content on peer-to-peer (P2P) services.It is through reports of P2P file-sharing activity that analysts have dealt with some of the most extensive and disturbing libraries of videos and images of children being sexually abused. Consequently it is extremely important that suspected illegal P2P content, as suggested by inappropriate file names or file descriptions returned from searches, should be reported to the Hotline for investigation.
On a positive note, 2008 has shown a marked decline in illegal child pornography traced to Russia. It now has a similar frequency as many other large countries central to a major language group. Unfortunately this now highlights the problem that continues to be faced by the USA.
Although Hotline.ie did not receive a single report about illegal content being hosted in the Republic of Ireland in 2008 there is no room for complacency, particularly as the techniques used by online criminals are growing in sophistication. It is important that through cooperation of Government, Gardaí and industry, we continue to implement and evolve measures that will dissuade people from using ISPAI Internet facilities for illegal purposes. The Hotline is central to this and provides a means to instigate swift and effective action.
