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<strong>Child</strong> PornograPhy First report oF the Dutch NatioNal rapporteur
phy] and the policy implemented by the police with regard to combating child pornography overall, see
also §3.4. The underlying principle is the enforcement of Article 240b of the Dutch Criminal Code. The
measures initiated by the Ministry of Security and Justice are primarily digital in nature. Nevertheless,
the ministry also uses ‘analogue’ measures to tackle sexual violence against children, which have been
implemented in the form of the domestic violence programme.
2.4.1 Security and Justice: the digital dimension
Over the past years, the Ministry of (Security and) Justice has implemented a variety of measures in order
to combat child pornography. Co-operation between the Ministry of (Security and) Justice, the Public
Prosecution Service and the police on the one hand, and the Meldpunt Kinderporno op Internet [hereafter:
Hotline Combating <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong> on the Internet] and ECPAT Nederland [End <strong>Child</strong> Prostitution,
<strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong> and the Trafficking of <strong>Child</strong>ren for Sexual Purposes] on the Internet on the other
hand, was intensified. Increasingly, use is being made of the knowledge and expertise of the abovementioned
Hotline (as well as the knowledge and expertise of ECPAT Nederland) for the formation of
policy. 76 In addition to this, increasing levels of support are being provided to private institutions such
as the Hotline Combating <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong> on the Internet, which in addition to information, provides
a forum where private individuals and companies can report child abuse material, alongside the
channels that already existed for this purpose within the police service. 77
Filtering and blocking
The Ministry of (Security and) Justice was also involved in supporting self-regulation and public-private
sector partnerships (see also §3.8). The parties that were immediately involved (predominantly the ISPs)
explored how an ‘Internet filtering of child pornography platform’ could be achieved. 78 In 2008, the Minister
of Justice made arrangements with the main ISPs with regard to the filtering and blocking of child
abuse material. They agreed that they would further extend the technical facilities to filter and block
child pornography. On formation of the Internet Safety Platform, the ISPs, the Hotline Combating <strong>Child</strong>
<strong>Pornography</strong> on the Internet and the government agreed to extend the tasks of the aforementioned Hotline
by producing a blacklist. The ISPs would use this blacklist for the purpose of filtering and blocking. 79
Arrangements were also made at a later date for the countries from which websites could be blocked.
In 2011, the Internet Safety Platform informed the minister that the blacklist that had been created was
so small that blocking websites featuring child pornography would not be effective. The effort involved
would not be relative to the anticipated effect. International consultations revealed that the provision of
child abuse material on the Internet had increased significantly. In autumn 2011, the company Leaseweb
launched a pilot with regard to the filtering of images of sexual abuse of children that were uploaded. In
particular, the aspects relating to security and operations were further explored. 80
Financial measures
Representatives from the Ministry also entered into discussions with the Dutch Banking Association
[Nederlandse Vereniging van Banken, NVB] with regard to the possibility of exchanging information about the
76 Minister of Justice, Progress on the issue of combating child pornography, 4 June 2009.
77 Ministry of Justice, 2010.
78 Minister of Justice, Progress on the issue of combating child pornography, 4 June 2009.
79 Minister of Justice, Progress on the issue of combating child pornography, 21 December 2009.
80 Parliamentary Papers II 2009/10, 32 123 VI, no.120 and Parliamentary Papers II 2010/11, 32 500 VI, no.75.