INHOPE network stands resilient, getting CSAM taken down even faster, despite unprecedented times.

Hotlines are getting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) taken down roughly 50% faster than last year. This phenomenal achievement means fewer people are able to witness the evidence of children’s abuse online and there is less opportunity for the material to be spread further.

Read the Annual Report 2020 here.

“As Executive Director, my professional highlight of the past 12 months is the way in which every individual connected with the INHOPE network pivoted their work and rapidly solved what seemed to be unsolvable challenges without the network missing a single report, and at the same time dealing with large increases in report volumes.” – Denton Howard, Executive Director

To enable the network to continue cleaning up the internet so rapidly, the INHOPE mandate has two pillars: people and technology. This is reflected both in our efforts every day, and in the statistics and highlights featured in this report.

INHOPE’s Impact in 2020

• Over one million content URLs were entered into INHOPE’s secure platform which is used by member hotlines to classify, collect, and exchange reports of CSAM with the network and Interpol
• CSAM is being taken down faster. 74% of content globally was removed within 3 days in 2020 compared to 50% in 2019.
• INHOPE is present in roughly 60% of countries where CSAM is hosted.
• INHOPE trained 66 hotline staff.
  
  

Trends and Statistics

• Age of victims: in 2019, 90% of victims were aged between 3 and 13. In 2020, this age range featured in 76% of CSAM reported to us. This is reflected in a rise in those between the age of 14 and 17, at 22% in 2020, up from 8% in 2019.
• Girls remain at much higher risk of sexual abuse than boys: 93% of victims in 2020 were girls, up from 91% in 2019. Both boys and girls are vulnerable to sexual abuse. 
• The way CSAM is being shared is changing: websites replace image hosting sites as the main site type being used to store CSAM.
  
  

Highlights of the Report

• Welcome to our new Board, presided by Jean-Christophe Le Toquin, and whose term will last two years
• Discussion of assessing and removing CSAM under lockdown, as well as the workarounds which hotlines managed to find
• Celebration of our new member ECPAT Philippines and enhanced membership status of CyberSafety Cyprus as well as update you on our latest Network Expansion efforts across the globe
• Introduction of our new EVAC-funded project ESCAPE aimed at developing an eco-system to ensure that every industry stakeholder and each member of the public around the globe has the option and awareness to report CSAM encountered online
• Share details of Project AviaTor, an efficient tool that helps law enforcement agencies prioritise all aspects of NCMEC reports so that they can focus on identifying perpetrators and saving victims
• Pay thanks to our partners whose financial support enables the work we do
  
  

“We are confronted with a deluge of content reported to our hotlines, which challenges our limits and forces us to respond in new ways. However, we are resilient, and here is why: the strength of our stride comes from our people.” – Jean-Christophe Le Toquin, President of the INHOPE Board

Read the full report here.