Conclusions
Conclusions
Reporting levels.
At the end of 2006 the Hotline had received 10,246 reports since its establishment in November 1999. A relatively consistent upward trend of reporting has been achieved over the seven years of operation. This is emphasised by 26% of all these reports being received in 2006. As action can only be taken when the Hotline is given knowledge of the existence of suspected illegal content, this is a very welcome trend. The more reports that are received; the greater is the Hotline’s capability to act against illegal content.
The popularity of online services such as e-banking, e-gaming and social networking has enticed users to the Internet. Internet subscriptions grew overall by roughly 18% in the year (Comreg). With more than a doubling of subscriptions to always-on broadband in the period, it is clear that the Irish population is spending significantly more time online than just a year ago. Huge amounts of leisure time, especially amongst children and youths, are now being spent browsing around the Internet. While most will have positive experiences of Internet usage, statistical probability alone dictates that an increasing number of users will accidentally discover a static amount of illegal content.
The Hotline runs visibility events to promote Internet safety issues and the importance of reporting suspicious content. This in combination with the above may explain the increase in reporting experienced.
The Hotline firmly believes that the 12% increase in 2006 reporting over 2005 is a function of increased usage rather than any massive growth in illegal content, such as child pornography, on the Internet. Anecdotal observations made by the Hotline analysts reveal a large proportion of the images of child abuse have been reported previously but turn up in different combinations in different locations on the Internet. Hotlines are an essential disruption activity to prevent uninhibited growth of child pornography web-sites.
An increase in reporting level also yields a better chance of the Hotline deriving further reports due to links found in the original content reported. This is particularly true when “jump sites” (web-sites which simply list URLs of illegal content) are reported or in cases of peer to peer file sharing where search terms reported return other suspicious file names and sharing locations in addition to those stated in the submission.
To assist keeping up the attack on illegal content it is vital that the public do not ignore suspected illegal content they encounter but report it to the Hotline.
Hotline assessment activities.
In 2006 there has been an improvement in the quality of reports received by the Hotline. Only 15% of reports were “not found/not accessible”, while in 2005 the percentage was significantly higher (28%). This means the public who are reporting, are being more accurate in the details provided and reporting more quickly. It has been found by the Hotline that illegal sites move around very frequently. If there is a delay in reporting, the site can have moved before the Hotline has an opportunity to assess it.
As can be seen from the graph below, the absolute number of reports received and processed on a monthly basis is highly variable. Nevertheless, in general, the number of reports that are confirmed as probably illegal is roughly proportional to the number received in the month.
Unique illegal reports forwarded compared to total reports received.
Trends analysis.
In every year of operation of the Hotline, there has been an increase in the absolute number of cases of unique illegal content confirmed by the Hotline Analysts as probably illegal under Irish law. In 2006 the amount every month tracked well above that of the previous year. This demonstrates how the workload on the Hotline has increased considerably year on year. If the Hotline had greater resources in many cases Analysts could derive significantly more reports than is done at present. The priority is currently given to processing the actual content referenced in external reports as these are what Irish Internet users have encountered.
Comparison of trends in proportion of confirmed illegal child content
While there have been increases in all key indicators in absolute numeric terms the trend is somewhat different when these figures are viewed in relative terms. That is, with at least an 18% increase in Internet subscriptions (and probably greater than double this in usage) in the year, one would expect a similar increase in reporting. However, a 12% increase was experienced. Furthermore there was just a 10% increase in illegal content confirmed by the Hotline. When the fact that half the amount of “not found” cases were recorded in 2006 than the previous year, this implies a somewhat lower incidence of illegal content having been potentially reported.
The Irish Hotline data is probably too small a sample to make meaningful deductions about the changes in the amount of illegal material that is “out there” on the Internet. However, possibly the figures above indicate an underlying trend which might suggest the amount of illegal content being encountered has decreased marginally between 2005 and 2006. Much greater amounts of data and research on this would be needed to draw conclusions with any confidence. Such research while interesting is not within the Hotline remit. That remit is to continue its task of encouraging and accepting reports to pursue reported illegal content and have it removed from Internet facilities.
Hotline observations on content.
The Hotline Analysts observe considerable use of terms implying “child pornography” on Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing services. When properly reported, the Analysts are finding these can lead to very severe child pornography being shared on P2P services. Entering a search term for images or videos of well known pop stars, something regularly done by children, can often return lists containing many very suspiciously named files. The Hotline Analysts have been puzzled as to why so few P2P reports are made. Possibly P2P users’ first reaction is to want to delete the listing of these filenames as quickly as possible. However, it is very important that these should be reported so people who are misusing P2P services by sharing illegal content can be tracked down.
There is also a despicable practice by some people of creating shared file names with terms that suggest or blatantly describe paedophile content. However, on downloading these files the Hotline analysts have discovered they are not child pornography but either adult pornography or advertising life-style medicines. It appears that unscrupulous traders have found that such methods can drive sales. However, these cases are an enormous waste of time for the Hotline because after spending much time in the search, downloading and assessment of the files, in most cases no action can be taken because there is no illegal content.
Allowing customers to use these filenames would be in contravention of the ISPAI code of practice. If it came to the attention of the Hotline that a P2P customer of an ISPAI member was engaging in such practices in Ireland, the ISP would be notified and they would contact the customer to desist or have their account suspended. It is a code of practice that ISPAI would like to see adopted in many other countries.
Despite this diversionary problem, the Hotline has found some of the most severe child pornographic image collections and videos being distributed via P2P. The Hotline appeals to P2P users not to ignore suspicious file names shared on these systems – report them to the Hotline.
Actions to complement the Hotline service.
While the Hotline is provided by the ISP Industry to combat illegal content on the Internet, it can not function without public support. It is imperative that such direct action against illegal content is continued especially as more children use the Internet. The Hotline therefore appeals to the public to continue reporting suspected illegal content on all Internet services.
The Hotline, which acts specifically against illegal content, is just one component of the actions needed to develop a safer Internet experience for all users. It is very important that parents and guardians of children should purchase parental control software for their home computers. This will further reduce the small possibility that exists of children encountering illegal content but will greatly assist in shielding them from content harmful to them depending on their stage of development.
