The report, “Youth Safety on a Living Internet,” was issued June 4 from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Online Safety and Technology Reporting Group.
Prepared for Congress and the Commerce Department by the NTIA with backing from Microsoft, Facebook, Network Solutions, Verizon, Yahoo! and other stakeholders, the report cites XBIZ’s Stephen Yagielowicz’s story about a child protection white paper he is working on with the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).
An addendum in the section from the CP [child pornography] Reporting Subcommittee speaks to the process of collecting data from the number of websites and unique domains that are referenced. The report lists a footnote referencing Yagielowicz’s story.
It reads: “It is important that Congress receive details of the reports rather than aggregate numbers. One child pornography reporting hotline recently released preliminary information indication that out of 80,000 reports of apparent child pornography, more than 50,000 reports were duplicates (reporting the same web content, for example), and the non-duplicate reports ultimately pointed to about 600 unique websites. See Stephen Yagielowicz, “ASACP Preparing CP Reporting Hotline White Paper” (Mar. 25, 2010), available at XBIZ. To properly determine how best to deploy investigative funding and attention, it is vital that Congress receive and both the aggregate numbers (like 80,000) and the detailed numbers (such as 600).”
The addendum also listed some important points to evaluate the complete picture of detailed reporting.
“…It would be important to collect and analyze a thorough range of data, including important data points such as the number of complete reports of apparent child pornography received for relevant reporting periods (such as per month and per year), broken down by the online communications method involved (e.g., websites, e-mail, etc.). and the number of images of apparent child pornography referenced in those reports and the number of unique images referenced in those reports.
ASACP's white paper discusses essential data that it has collected from its child pornography reporting hotline that can be utilized in the fight against commercial CP.
ASACP CEO Joan Irvine told XBIZ that ASACP data has been subpoenaed for numerous court proceedings and that Tim Henning, the organization's Technology and Forensic Research Director, has been deposed as an expert witness, but this is the first time that ASACP data has been included in an official report that will be presented to the NTIA and Congress.
" What is significant about this data is that proves the professional adult entertainment industry is not involved with the horrific crime of child pornography. Based on Tim’s 15 years of experience of managing the ASACP CP Reporting Hotline, I believe his analysis will help law enforcement and legislators to better focus their attention and limited resources to where the real problems exist. Of course it is also gratifying to be a success in helping protect children online," Irvine said
The ASACP executive also offered her thanks to Yagielowicz's article and help in writing the white paper. "If he [Yagielowicz] had not offered his services to write the white paper and published an advance article with the summary results, ASACP would have been hard pressed to provide such an important document. As is usual with many non-profits, we are dependent upon the generosity of our members and volunteers," Irvine said.
"This is another example of the great work being done by ASACP being noticed in Washington and beyond," Yagielowicz said.
