A year in review: The work of INHOPE member hotlines in the fight against CSAM
date: 28/03/2024
Removing illegal material that depicts the sexual abuse of real children from the internet makes a significant impact on our society. This content is often shared and distributed across borders through the internet, underscoring the importance of working collectively as a worldwide network. The work done by INHOPE hotlines includes not only removing such material online but also providing key intelligence to law enforcement partners which leads to the safeguarding of victims and identification of perpetrators.
As the leading global network combatting online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), INHOPE member hotlines have established an effective and well-recognised mechanism for the rapid removal of CSAM within Europe and around the world. Across the INHOPE network, over 200 hotline analysts work every day to find and remove illegal content from the internet and to share data with law enforcement so they can identify victims and perpetrators. Hotline analysts are the first responders in the fight against CSAM, and their expertise and incredible dedication have contributed to the removal of millions of instances of CSAM online every year.
In 2023, European hotlines experienced a significant increase in the number of total reports received, reaching a total of 1,428,552 reports compared to 886,797 in 2022. This rise can be attributed to various factors such as the increasing visibility of hotlines, the growing public awareness of what and how to report, and the work of proactive CSAM search by several hotlines.