What you can report

The ISPAI www.hotline.ie service exists to combat illegal material on the Internet. All reports are assessed and where content is found to be illegal action is taken.

 

Internet services covered by Hotline...

You may report content you suspect to be illegal encountered when using any of the following services:

• Websites (including sites for mobile WAP or equivalent)
• Unsolicited email** (spam advertising illegal content)
• Peer-to-peer file sharing networks
• Online forums, bulletin boards, blogs, social networking sites
• Newsgroups (NTTP)
• Online chat rooms or instant messaging

If you are not sure if the material is illegal or not, it does not matter, report it to the Hotline and our analysts will assess it.

** Note: The Hotline can only act on spam email that contains or refers to illegal content. In particular spam containing child pornography or which seems to be advertising child pornography. The Hotline does not deal with spam that does not contain or refer to illegal content. To complain about spam sent to your personal account or abuse of personal information, please contact the Office of the › Data Protection Commissioner.

 

Types of illegal content that should be reported...

• child pornography
• child grooming activities
• child sex tourism
• child trafficking

Note: The main focus of the Hotline is content which may be illegal under the Irish Child Trafficking and Pornography Act (1998).Under this Act it is illegal for anyone to knowingly possess child pornography. It is also illegal to knowingly print, publish, import, export, manufacture or distribute child pornography. In this Act “child” means a person under the age of 17 years old.

• racism and xenophobia
• incitement to hatred

Note: In these cases the Hotline refers to the Irish Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, 1989. Under this Act it is an offence for a person to distribute, publish, behave, display written material, words, behaviour, visual images or sounds if they are threatening, abusive or insulting and are intended or are likely to stir up hatred.

• financial scams (usually sent by spam)

Note: The Hotline only deals with those which purport to be Irish financial services or appear to have originated from Ireland or have Irish contact details.

• other content

Note: Use other to submit a query to the Hotline or notify us about content not in above categories.

The Hotline only deals with reports about content on the Internet. This service must not be used to report crime or suspected criminal activities taking place in the “real world”.  Any such reports should be made directly to An Garda Síochána, either at your local Garda station or by using the free Garda Confidential telephone 1800 666 111.

Reporting to the Hotline is not a substitute for notifying An Garda Síochána. Urgent situations where persons may be in immediate danger should always be reported to An Garda Síochána directly.