- Aug132019Guest Writer
Cathal Delaney: Project “Trace an Object” – details help the police identify children
To aid the search for children Europol has set up project “Trace an Object”. It asks the public to view cropped parts of images to see if they recognise objects. This can help place the location of the abuse.
- Jul242019Guest Writer
John Shehan: There has been a significant increase in self-produced material
Self-produced material, whether voluntarily made or produced through grooming and extortion is on the rise. The images fall within a broad spectrum, from everyday holiday snaps to sexual extortion where victims are forced to take images of themselves.
- Jul092019Anna Borgström
The Interpol World Conference
Last week I attended the third edition of the Interpol World conference in Singapore. It’s an event that brings together private and public sectors to foster collaboration to counter future security and policing challenges.
- Jun262019NetClean
PhotoDNA – Robust hashing that finds online child sexual abuse material
In a previous blog we looked at binary hashes. Now we look at PhotoDNA, a different type of hashing technology that calculates hash values based on the visual content of an image.
- Jun052019Guest Writer
Cathal Delaney: Offender groups are becoming more organised and businesslike in their set-up
The Head of Team, Analysis Project Twins, EC3, at Europol comments on this development, based on Europol’s observations of online communication and organisation.
- May142019Christian Berg
Christian Berg: The main challenge is victim identification
in Business, TechnologyIn the NetClean Report 2018 we looked at a relatively new technology called Deepfakes; AI technology, which is used to swap one face for another in moving imagery. Here, Christian Berg, founder of NetClean, elaborates on challenges that this technology presents, and what might prevent it from being widely used in the production of child sexual abuse material.
- May032019Anna Borgström
Notes about the Broadband Commission Working Group
in Business, TechnologyLast week I was invited as a member of the Working Group for Child Online Safety, to attend the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development annual Spring meeting in Silicon Valley.
- May022019Guest Writer
We see limited use of cryptocurrencies as payment for child sexual abuse material
In our experience it is extremely rare that child sexual abuse material is sold on the internet. Offenders either search for the readily available free material, or they trade images and films with each other.
- Apr152019NetClean
Artificial Intelligence – the future of fighting child sexual abuse material
In this series of blogs, we discuss tools that aid investigators and online service providers, Unlike the tools we have previously covered, AI has the potential to identify new and previously unclassified child sexual abuse material.
- Mar222019Guest Writer
Michael Sheath: Lack of insight and empathy part of the problem
Michael Sheath from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a UK charity that runs a helpline for people with concerns about negative aspects of their sexuality, comments on findings from the NetClean Report.
- Mar042019Anna Borgström
A digital agenda for change – MWC Barcelona 2019
Last week I attended Mobile World Congress 2019. MWC Barcelona is the largest mobile event in the world, bringing together the latest innovations and cutting-edge technology from more than 2,400 leading companies.
- Mar012019NetClean
Only six countries comprehensively address online child sexual abuse
In a recent interview conducted at the #skillnadpåriktigt conference, Björn Sellström from INTERPOL mentioned that only six countries comprehensively address online child sexual abuse.
- Feb262019Guest Writer
Dr. Victoria Baines: “Technological developments have far outstripped our expectations”
Throughout the year we will be sharing insights from our NetClean Report 2018. First out is the introduction penned by Dr. Victoria Baines who reflects on the fight against child sexual abuse as it enters its third decade. Read about how technological development has far outstripped our expectations, and how collaboration and knowledge is setting the agenda in the fight against child sexual abuse.
- Feb112019NetClean
Using crawling and hashing technologies to find child sexual abuse material – The Internet Watch Foundation
In our series on technologies that are used to stop child sexual abuse, we have written about how they work and what they are used for. Following our blogs on web crawlers and hash matching, this post looks at how the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) uses these technologies.
- Jan232019NetClean
New index makes it possible to measure responses to SDG 16.2 – but detection of child sexual abuse material is missing
This new benchmarking index, developed by The Economist’s Intelligence Unit, scores 40 different countries across the world.
- Jan112019NetClean
Benchmarking Index on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation
in BusinessNext week, Wednesday 16 January, a Benchmarking Index designed to identify best practices towards bringing child sexual abuse to an end will be launched. NetClean CEO Anna Borgström welcomed this initiative at the pre-launch at UN Headquarters…
- Dec052018Anna Borgström
The NetClean Report 2018 Indicates Two Different Groups of Offenders
Last week we launched the NetClean Report 2018, and I am very pleased with the attention that it got. Not only because of the hard work that goes into our surveys and analysis of the results, but more importantly, because the information that we produce together with leading experts, is vital in the fight against child sexual abuse.
- Oct302018NetClean
Hash values – Fingerprinting child sexual abuse material
Find out what hashing is, and how this technology, which is frequently used by forensic investigators, is vital to the fight against child sexual abuse crime.
- Oct252018NetClean
Technology is central in identifying victimized children – #Skillnadpåriktigt 2018
in Events, TechnologyOur fourth annual #skillnadpåriktigt conference was recently held in Stockholm. Like last year, we’re proud to say that it was a really successful event with renowned speakers and fruitful discussions.
- Sep282018NetClean
The power of technology – report from the Microsoft INHOPE conference
in Business, TechnologyOver the past two days NetClean has been on location at the Microsoft Head Quarters outside Seattle, to participate in an INHOPE Fundraising and Awareness-raising summit.
- Sep242018NetClean
How web crawlers can help find child sexual abuse material
In our series on the Technical Model National Response and technologies that are used to find online child sexual abuse material, we now look at web crawlers and how they can be built to look for this illegal material.
- Sep172018NetClean
Can filter technologies help to stop child sexual abuse material?
There are different types of filtering options, but in the most basic of explanations all filter technologies look at web traffic that passes in and out from the company and decides what is allowed to pass through.
- Sep112018Anna Borgström
Business engagement is key to meeting UN’s goal to end exploitation of children
In 2015, world leaders signed up to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The targets also specifically look at the welfare of children: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children (16.2).
This is how businesses are key to meeting those goals. - Aug292018Guest Writer
We need to teach kids safe internet behaviour
Australian Taskforce Argos tracks offenders behaviour online and comments on the findings in the 2017 NetClean report, highlighting that the best thing we can do for children is to teach them to be safe online.
- Aug212018Guest Writer
The problem is not increasing — we’re getting better
Police officers say year on year that they are getting busier fighting online child sexual abuse crime. in the NetClean 2017 report two new factors were mentioned as reasons – the wider use of the internet and increased number of reports from industry. We asked Europol’s Steven Wilson to comment.
