You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Internet Watch Foundation<br />
• In <strong>2019</strong>, the top 10 most prolific brands, which accounted for 25% of all commercial content in<br />
<strong>2019</strong>, were apparently associated with just 4 distribution groups.<br />
Since 2017, we’ve seen a trend towards the use of more dynamic commercial websites meaning that<br />
the names and titles change each time the page is reloaded. As a result, our analysts devised different<br />
methods to establish when these sites still represent the same “brand” despite dynamically changing.<br />
• In <strong>2019</strong>, we saw 1,408 active brands, compared to 1,245 in 2018.<br />
• Of these active brands, 375 were previously unknown to us, compared to 446 in 2018.<br />
We will continue to monitor trends and work closely with law enforcement partners and our financial<br />
industry Members to ensure the commercial distribution of child sexual abuse imagery is disrupted.<br />
Commercial trend:<br />
Disguised websites<br />
Since 2011, we have been monitoring commercial<br />
child sexual abuse websites which display child<br />
sexual abuse imagery only when accessed by a ‘digital<br />
pathway’ of links from other websites. When the<br />
pathway is not followed, or the website is accessed<br />
directly through a browser, legal content is displayed.<br />
This means it is more difficult to locate and investigate<br />
the criminal imagery. This trend for distributors to hide<br />
the distribution of criminal imagery has increased<br />
in <strong>2019</strong>, with criminals continually changing the<br />
methods used.<br />
Commercial disguised trend:<br />
Abuse of digital advertising<br />
networks and legitimate brands<br />
In 2018, we identified a group of disguised websites<br />
which are apparently exploiting digital advertising<br />
networks and legitimate brand owners to fraudulently<br />
generate additional revenue. We’ve continued to see<br />
this trend during <strong>2019</strong>.<br />
• Of the 1,408 commercial website brands<br />
active in <strong>2019</strong>, 807 were using the<br />
“digital pathway” technique.<br />
• Of these 807 active brands, 170 had not been seen<br />
by us before.<br />
What can we do about this?<br />
It takes more time and expertise to<br />
tackle these sorts of websites, and<br />
we’ve adapted our techniques to<br />
reveal and remove them in response.<br />
In <strong>2019</strong>, we uncovered 3,882 websites<br />
using a “digital pathway” to hide child<br />
sexual abuse imagery. That’s 16 times<br />
every working day. It represents an increase<br />
of 50% on the 2,581 disguised websites<br />
identified in 2018.<br />
What can we do<br />
about this?<br />
We’ve been working with brand<br />
owners, the advertising industry,<br />
government, and law enforcement<br />
to understand more about the<br />
problem and what action can be<br />
taken to tackle the issue.<br />
By sharing our expertise in<br />
uncovering these websites with our<br />
sister Hotlines and law enforcement<br />
worldwide, we help disrupt the<br />
operation of commercial child<br />
sexual abuse websites.<br />
56
Change language