PRESS RELEASE
Helsinki, Finland – 22 September – Specialists from the Helsinki-based child protection organisation, Protect Children, have analysed over 2 million individual images and videos depicting sexual violence against children. Protect Children’s work has led to over 1.3 million automatic removal requests to online service providers.
In the ongoing fight against child sexual violence, Protect Children works with Project Arachnid, a world-leading tool in reducing the availability of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The initiative, which is led by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, uses the newest technology to scan the web for CSAM and send out notifications to hosting providers requesting immediate removal of the violent content.
“I cannot go out, not even to the store in my neighborhood, I always feel watched, as if something bad was going to happen, I am afraid of living” said an anonymous survivor of child sexual abuse material in response to Protect Children’s Global ‘Our Voice’ Survey –one of the world’s largest surveys of survivors of child sexual abuse.
Every week, specialists from Protect Children unite efforts with the global network of Project Arachnid analysts to analyse CSAM and manually verify the flagged images before the automatic removal notice is sent. Since starting this work in 2020, Protect Children specialists have analysed over 2 million individual images and videos depicting sexual violence against children. The analysts’ hard work requires continual high-level vigilance and resilience, and they receive strong support from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, which provides specialised training and counselling.
“Protect Children’s work within Project Arachnid is a critical global response to the borderless epidemic of child sexual abuse material. Their team’s incredible efforts mean Arachnid can now send takedown notices on two million more child sexual abuse images and get this horrific content off the internet, making a huge difference for survivors.” Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
Removing images of child sexual abuse helps victims and survivors to heal
Protect Children’s research on the Global ‘Our Voice’ Survivor Survey reveals that 96% of CSAM survivors report experiencing long-term negative consequences of the abuse. These impacts include, among other things, depression, anxiety disorder/panic attacks, difficulty in forming and maintaining personal relationships, self-harming behaviour, PTSD/PTS, somatic symptoms, and suicide attempts.
Removing CSAM from the internet offers new hope to victims and survivors whose images have been shared online, breaking the cycle of abuse and revictimisation. Image removal can also deter further crimes of sexual violence against children, as research by Protect Children has suggested a link between viewing CSAM and committing contact offences.
"Every child who has been subjected to sexual violence has the right to recover without the fear that images or videos documenting the crime continue to circulate online. Our work with victims and their parents has strengthened our belief that the most advanced and effective technology, like Project Arachnid, must be used to remove these images." Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, Executive Director of Protect Children, Victim Services and Offender Management Sub-Group Chair, Interpol SGCAC.
The data collected through Project Arachnid provides an accurate picture of online crimes of sexual violence against children internationally, revealing acute gaps in prevention and protection. Protect Children converts the invaluable knowledge gathered by the analysts into practice by producing educational materials for children, families, and professionals to prevent technology-facilitated crimes of sexual violence against children.
Statement. There is a Child in Every Image: Protect Children Has Analysed Over 2 Million Child Sexual Abuse Material Images to End the Cycle of Abuse.
About Protect Children: Protect Children is a Helsinki-based non-governmental organisation committed to ending all forms of sexual violence against children worldwide. Through research, advocacy, and education, Protect Children works to safeguard the rights of children and support their healthy development in a digital age. https://www.suojellaanlapsia.fi/en
Protect Children also works to prevent perpetration of child sexual abuse material offences. Read more in Protect Children’s recent research article published this week in the Stanford Internet Observatory’s Journal of Online Trust and Safety: https://www.suojellaanlapsia.fi/en/post/csam-offender-help-seeking
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection Inc. (Canadian Centre) is a registered charity dedicated to the personal safety of all children. The Canadian Centre offers a number of programs, services and resources for Canadians to help them protect children and reduce their risk of victimization. For more information visit the Canadian Centre website at www.protectchildren.ca.
For media inquiries, please contact Protect Children:
Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, Executive Director, Senior Specialist, Victim Services and Offender Management Sub-Group Chair, Interpol SGCAC
nina.vaaranen-valkonen@protectchildren.fi or +358 40747 8829