High-quality Data

A key strategic pillar of INHOPE’s network is Technology and Innovation. We develop new technology to support member hotlines in the successful removal of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) online.

The Global Standard project is a stepping stone for INHOPE’s future technology solutions.


INHOPE’s secure platform to exchange CSAM reports, ICCAM is used by 47 hotlines in the INHOPE network via the user interface or through their own report management system, connected to ICCAM via an API. Each hotline inserts into the system urls with images and videos of potential child abuse and identifies the hosting of this material, as well as the illegality according to international criteria and national legislation. This information is stored in the system which shows that more than 1 million urls were exchanged in 2021. The hash values of these images and videos are stored in the system with the information whether it is illegal in a certain country or worldwide.

The Global Standard ontology will enrich the hash values by adding valuable metadata to each hash. This metadata will indicate and describe what is in each image, without having to exchange the image and/or video, but rather only the hash lists can be used. This will enable easy use of the created hash lists and an interoperable translation of a hash between different jurisdictions. So by knowing the attributes of the Global Standard ontology for each hash value, every hotline will easily and in an automated way be able to determine whether that image/video is illegal in their country. This, in turn, will also facilitate instantaneous matching of information and even swifter removal of these illegal images/videos from the digital space.

The Tools

INHOPE will commence the CPORT project in 2023, together with five key law enforcement and technical partners: INTERPOL, ZiuZ Forensics, Politidirektoratet – Norwegian National Law Enforcement Agency, Belgian Federal Police, Inspectoratul General AL Politiei - Moldovan National Law Enforcement Agency and Ministere de L'interieur representing the National French Law Enforcement Agency.

This project will build and improve law enforcement portals into ICCAM, both for INTERPOL and national law enforcement agencies. These national agencies are the counterparts of national hotlines – INHOPE’s member hotlines. By building these law enforcement portals, the exchange of information on illegal child abuse images and videos between key national stakeholders will be automated and in real time. Hotlines will be able to exchange information with their national law enforcement partners within the ICCAM system. This will improve speed, quality control, and faster removal of the material, as well as investigations of these crimes.

Secure Pathways

Creating a secure pathway in the system for the exchange of URLs, images and videos provide the possibility to exchange hash lists between key national stakeholders, where legally possible. The exchange of hashes is key in the fight against CSAM online and this port of information will enable the sharing and further enrichment of national and international databases. By using metadata created within the Global Standard project, a better understanding and translation of hash lists will be enabled. This will create the necessary exchange of high-quality data between hotlines, law enforcement agencies, and potentially internet companies in the future.


For more information, email globalstandard@inhope.org.