Responsibility · · Davi Netto
CDDC announces monitoring of websites against child sexual abuse
A 2021 announcement about monitoring hosted websites for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and how your company can report it.
The mass sharing of material containing child sexual abuse is a tragic consequence of technological progress and the spread of online communication. Yet the fight against these abuses is still timid and not widespread.
Our position on the matter is simple: we don’t tolerate these practices. CDDC, as a hosting provider, affirms that fighting child sexual abuse must be part of our daily obligations. That’s why, starting September 1, 2021, CDDC will actively monitor the websites we host for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), so that it can be properly reported and removed.
This project was only possible thanks to the resources and services provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a private non-profit organization based in the United States. Through its CyberTipline system, any person or company can report material containing the sexual exploitation of minors.
How does CSAM monitoring work?
The monitoring tool scans all the content of the websites and compares the fingerprint of each file with the database of material already catalogued by groups fighting child abuse, such as NCMEC, Interpol and more than 60 other public and private institutions. If this type of content is detected, a security protocol involving our hosting company and the competent authorities begins:
- Our security contact is notified by the monitoring software.
- The detection is formally reported to NCMEC, including the link to the material and the date and time it was identified.
- A confirmation email that the report was received is sent back, making the complaint official.
- Firewall rules and other blocks are created to prevent access to the material. If the firewall rules don’t work, a new notification is received for the content to be removed manually.
How can your company take part in this cause?
Any company can sign up for the NCMEC CyberTipline reporting program, whatever its field. The organization offers an online form and a 24-hour phone line for reports. For more information about the organization, visit missingkids.org.
This sad reality will only change as each of us becomes aware of it.
