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End-to-End Encryption and Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)

The global distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is growing exponentially. In 2018, the CyberTipline at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 18 million reports of apparent child sexual abuse, equivalent to 50,000 reports a day.

A full view of the young girl sitting in the same position by the window. The girl is hugging her knees, with her head resting on them.

Recently, however, a number of companies have announced plans to implement end-to-end encryption across their messaging services and search engines. This could mean that current technologies used to flag CSAM or detect grooming would no longer work, representing a boon for child sex offenders all over the world. As children’s privacy campaigners, we welcome moves to strengthen privacy online, but we reject suggestions that there is a binary choice between maintaining privacy and protecting children, particularly from child sexual exploitation and abuse.

5Rights Foundation, working closely with Professor Hany Farid, co-developer of CSAM-detection tool photoDNA, has been advocating for privacy-preserving solutions for the protection of children in encrypted environments. We have called on both the internet sector and governments around the world to ensure that end-to-end encryption is only implemented if it maintains or improves existing protections for children and that neither commercial considerations nor broader concerns be put ahead of the protection of children.

News and Publications

A screenshot of a news article from The Guardian titled, "Inquiry calls for web pre-screening to end UK child abuse 'explosion'." The article, written by Owen Bowcott, discusses a report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), calling for social media companies to take action to prevent child abuse. The image below the headline shows a close-up of hands typing on a keyboard in a dimly lit room, suggesting the urgency of online monitoring. A yellow banner at the top notes that the article is more than four years old.

The Guardian – Inquiry calls for web pre-screening to end UK child abuse ‘explosion’

March 2020 – A recent report argues that Social media companies should be forced to pre-screen all uploaded material to help law enforcement with the increase in online child sexual abuse in the UK.

A screenshot of a news article from The Telegraph titled, "Why Britain’s new deal with Silicon Valley for stopping child abuse still has one big hole in it." The article, written by Io Dodds, discusses challenges between governments and tech giants regarding encryption and child abuse prevention. Below the headline is an image of a formal press conference with British and American officials standing on stage, including an official speaking at a podium. They are flanked by flags of the US, UK, and other countries.

The Telegraph – Britains new deal with Silicon Valley for stopping child abuse has a big hole

March 2020 – Social media companies signed up to a new voluntary code of conduct on fighting child abuse, jointly negotiated with Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The New York Times – Bill Would Make Tech Firms Accountable for Child Sex Abuse Imagery

March 2020 – New legislation and international guidelines target the spread of online child abuse material, holding tech companies accountable while encouraging industry standards to prevent exploitation.

A screenshot of a webpage from The New York Times podcast titled "A Criminal Underworld of Child Abuse: Part 1," published on February 19, 2020. The text below the title reads: "Child sexual abuse imagery online is now a problem on an almost unfathomable scale." The episode is hosted by Michael Barbaro, with production credits to Jazmín Aguilera, Annie Brown, and Marc Georges, and editing credits to Larissa Anderson and Mike Benoist. There is also a "Transcript" button below for accessing the episode's text. The background features a gradient of blue to green.

The New York Times – A criminal underworld of child abuse

February 2020 – A months-long New York Times investigation has uncovered a digital underworld of child sexual abuse imagery that is hiding in plain sight. They look at the almost unfathomable scale of the problem — and just how little is being done to stop it.

A screenshot from a BBC News article dated February 6, 2020, titled "NSPCC urges Facebook to stop encryption plans." The image beneath the title shows a young girl sitting on a bed, hunched over, holding a phone in one hand and resting her head on her knees. The image is framed to convey a sense of concern or distress. Below the image, the article states: "Child-protection organisations say Facebook's decision to strongly encrypt..." with the rest of the text cut off. The photo is credited to Getty Images.

BBC – Facebook urged to halt encryption plans over child abuse risks

February 2020 – Child protection organisations recently urged Facebook to halt their encryption plans, arguing that Facebook’s decision to strongly encrypt messages will give offenders a place to hide.

A full view of the conference room at the Global Summit to Tackle Online Sexual Exploitation. The large room features tiered seating with participants working on laptops. At the front is a podium and a large screen. The high ceiling and skylight brighten the space, adding to the formal yet collaborative environment of the summit.

5Rights attends WeProtect Summit to tackle online child sexual exploitation

December 2019 – 5Rights attended the WePROTECT Global Alliance Summit to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation, co-hosted by the UK Government, the WePROTECT Global Alliance and the African Union.

A hand is holding a tablet displaying a document titled "Briefing: End-to-End Encryption and Child Sexual Abuse Material" by 5Rights Foundation and Professor Hany Farid, dated December 2019. The text outlines concerns about the implementation of end-to-end encryption by major tech companies like Facebook and Instagram, and its potential to hinder efforts to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The tablet is set against a bright blue background.

Briefing: End-to-end encryption and child sexual abuse material

December 2019 – 5Rights in collaboration with Professor Hany Farid developed a briefing on end-to-end encryption, arguing how existing tech can maintain people’s privacy, while allowing for CSAM monitoring.

A screenshot from a New York Times article dated September 29,2019, titled "The Internet Is Overrun With Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong?" The image shows obscured pictures of child sexual abuse provided by the Canadian Center for Child Protection. The text on the page reads “Last year, tech companies reported over 45 million online photos and videos of children being sexually abused — more than double what they found the previous year.”

The New York Times – The Internet is overrun with child sexual abuse images. What went wrong?

September 2019 – Online predators create and share the illegal material, which is increasingly cloaked by technology. Tech companies, the government and the authorities are no match.