DISTRIBUTORS of child pornography are using increasingly
sophisticated techniques to conceal their online activities, says
internet watchdog Hotline.ie.
Methods include the increased use of web facilities
such as "cyber lockers" (an online site for storage of personal digital
files) and use of peer-to-peer networks, where files can be shared
directly between users.
Of 2,646 reports processed by Hotline last year, 183 were assessed as child sexual abuse. Of these, two were forwarded to An Garda Síochána, as the content was determined by Hotline analysts to be hosted in Ireland.
Hotline, which investigates anonymous reports by people who accidentally uncover illegal content online, recorded a 28% fall in 2010 of reports where the content was assessed to be "probably illegal under Irish law", but Paul Durrant, general manager of the Irish Service Providers Association of Ireland, said this should not be cause for complacency.
"The problem has not gone away," he said. "It is in transition, with criminals evolving new techniques and moving illegal content from the web to other places on the internet."
While reports confirmed as referring to child sexual abuse content (CSAC) are at their lowest since 2004, Ireland’s clean record in relation to hosting CSAC was broken in late 2009.
Of 2,646 reports processed by Hotline last year, 183 were assessed as child sexual abuse. Of these, two were forwarded to An Garda Síochána, as the content was determined by Hotline analysts to be hosted in Ireland.
Hotline, which investigates anonymous reports by people who accidentally uncover illegal content online, recorded a 28% fall in 2010 of reports where the content was assessed to be "probably illegal under Irish law", but Paul Durrant, general manager of the Irish Service Providers Association of Ireland, said this should not be cause for complacency.
"The problem has not gone away," he said. "It is in transition, with criminals evolving new techniques and moving illegal content from the web to other places on the internet."
While reports confirmed as referring to child sexual abuse content (CSAC) are at their lowest since 2004, Ireland’s clean record in relation to hosting CSAC was broken in late 2009.
There were two further occurrences in 2010, including a report of
illegal content hosted in Ireland, which related to a website hosted on a
cloud service containing several illegal images.
Hotline sent details
to the gardaí and have since heard, that as a result, two people have
been arrested in Spain in connection with distribution of child
pornography.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter said Ireland’s growth as a base for tech companies "means that an ever-increasing amount of large data centres and cloud services are being located here, which opens the jurisdiction up to an increase in the amount of cases where illegal content may be mirrored".
Justice Minister Alan Shatter said Ireland’s growth as a base for tech companies "means that an ever-increasing amount of large data centres and cloud services are being located here, which opens the jurisdiction up to an increase in the amount of cases where illegal content may be mirrored".