Learn about the ongoing battle against the distribution of child sexual abuse material online. Web-IQ is at the forefront, offering indispensable data and technology services to assist law enforcement and non-profit organizations in their mission to protect children and prevent re-victimization.
Child Sexual Exploitation is a horrific crime. Millions of images and videos of child abuse are shared and reshared online. Images of child abuse can circulate for many years, in a sense re-abusing the victims each time an image is uploaded, downloaded or watched.
Many agencies and NGOs are dedicated to identifying victims and stop offenders, but also to reduce and ultimately prevent this revictimization. They work to get child abuse images and videos off the internet and to block known CSAM before it is re-uploaded.
Although the darknet is a hotspot for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), most of the distribution actually takes place on the “normal” internet and social platforms.
Web-IQ’s goal is to provide the best data and technology services to help authorities and NGOs to achieve their goals.
To reduce the amount of CSAM that is being shared on the internet, the first objective is to detect where this material is being distributed and hosted, so that hosting services and hotlines can take it down.
The second objective is to provide insight into providers, key players and associated information to provide valuable intelligence.
Web-IQ developed the Hash Check Server (HCS). Electronic service providers use it to detect whether images or videos stored on their platform constitute known CSAM. It also enables them to block known CSAM before it is re-uploaded. The service is available to service providers worldwide. Billions of images have already been checked, and millions of images and videos have been blocked from being watched by other users.
The HCS can also be used to scan images that are shared on the darknet. This provides unique daily insight into CSAM distribution.
From darknet platforms, online offender communication is retrieved and made available to LEA and other authorities via the Voyager Intelligence platform. Languages used, places mentioned and relations between members will help authorities support their cases. These discussions provide safer internet centers with information about current threats that children face online.
