Senator Biden Wants Increased Monitoring of P2P Networks for Illegal Files

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) .) is pushing for a renewed effort by federal and local law enforcement to step up the use of specialized software designed to curb illegal file trading on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, and is backing legislation introduced last year that would provide one billion dollars to help fund the effort.

Biden advocated the adoption of more aggressive techniques yesterday at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing about child exploitation on the Internet.

The software, called “Operation Fairplay,” allows officers to download suspected contraband files from P2P networks and then identify the IP address of the computer on which the files were stored, and sometimes the general location of the computers themselves. They then request more detailed information from ISPs, which they hope will lead them to a suspect.

Special Agent Flint Waters, who works in the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, developed Operation Fairplay two years ago. Waters, part of a federal program called the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which consists of 59 law enforcement agencies nationwide, said that Operation Fairplay is being used by law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and in 18 other countries, including England, France and Sweden.

According to a CNET article posted yesterday, “Investigators [using Operation Fairplay] have recorded more than 642,000 ‘unique serial numbers’ that can be traced to the United States and another 650,000 of them that cannot be traced to a particular country, with the number of unique serial numbers rising steadily each month since ‘widespread capturing’ of the details began in October 2005.”

During the committee session, Biden nonetheless expressed his frustration that too few personnel and other resources were being earmarked to deal with the unlawful exchange of child pornography in the United States, and pushed for the passage of S.1738, the Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007, which would, among other things, “increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute predators.”

"We can get our arms around it, the worst aspect of it, if we provide the resources," Biden said.

In response to critics of the program, Waters has asserted that no one is trying to demonize P2P networks, just those who use it for illegal purposes.

“Blaming this problem on peer-to-peer innovation is like blaming the interstate highway system when someone uses it to transport drugs," he said.

Related:  

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

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Show More