File-Sharing Trade Organization Launches P2P Patrol

ARLINGTON, Va.– On the heels of continued bad press and litigation over allegations that peer-to-peer networks help facilitate the distribution of child pornography, a file-sharing trade group launched P2P Patrol Monday to help educate file-sharers and make it easier to report child porn sightings to police.

Founded by the Distributed Computing Industry Association, an organization that represents companies involved in all aspects of P2P, P2P Patrol stands for Peer-To-Peer Parents And Teens React Online and counts among its members Grokster, Altnet and Sharman Networks, owner of Kazaa.

"This is focused on good citizen users, helping show them how to recognize, remove and report child pornography that is inadvertently encountered," DCIA Chief Executive Officer Marty Lafferty said.

The central aim of P2P Patrol is to provide parents and young adults with the tools needed to report on criminally obscene content when they encounter it on the Internet, lessening the responsibility for P2P networks and software makers to prevent the sharing of illegal files.

"It is important to note that this initiative is not a vigilante effort, and that seeking out criminally obscene content, even with the intention of helping to eliminate it, can itself expose one to violations of the law resulting in severe fines and imprisonment," DCIA states in its mission statement.

P2P Patrol also includes deterrence and enforcement programs for participating companies who register as members.

P2P Patrol will work in coordination with cpHotline.org to help participants efficiently gather and submit required information in a standardized format.

According to the DCIA, cpHotline will qualify all leads that it receives and provide the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children with the specific information required for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute a case.

The DCIA has been extensively involved in rooting out child porn from P2P networks and the organization has created a web tool that generates a warning to computer users if they are searching for a term frequently associated with illicit material. The DCIA has also thrown its weight behind police investigations into the exchange of child porn over P2P networks, which has resulted in dozens of arrests so far.

The launch of P2P Patrol immediately follows testimony from an executive for Sharman Networks who told an Australian court last week that his company is unable to do anything to stop the sharing of illegal files over its network.

The company's chief technology officer testified that any efforts to track the exchange of child porn over the Kazaa network had never gotten past the conversational stage with Sharman CEO Nikki Hemming, a named defendant in the lawsuit filed by the Australian arm of the Recording Industry Association of America.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Show More