According to the watchdog organisation Hotline.ie, almost 30,000 confirmed reports of child sexual abuse material were received in Ireland last year
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There has been a 30pc annual rise in public reports of illegal content online, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to the latest figures from Hotline.ie, Ireland’s national centre for anonymously reporting illegal online content.
According to the organisation’s annual report, over 40,543 reports were received in 2023 with over 29,906 of the reports confirmed to contain illegal material, primarily child sexual abuse material (29,044) which is often referred to by the legal term of ‘child pornography’.
The organisation said that the rise in self-generated CSAM content was “noted as a troubling trend”.
Included in the figures were 470 reports of intimate image abuse, which includes non-consensual sharing of intimate images, sometimes referred to as ‘revenge porn’.
Hotline.ie said that there was a 95pc removal rate for content, despite all of it being hosted outside Ireland. It also said that of the 29,906 website URL addresses found to contain illegal content, only 362 remained active by the end of last year, resulting in a 99pc removal rate.
Hotline.ie is a not-for-profit organisation operated by the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI).
It provides an anonymous platform for the public to report illegal content online. The organisation says that it works in close cooperation with law enforcement and other national and international partners to combat online exploitation and abuse.
“The rise in public reports highlights that engagement is increasing, which is critical as we continue to adapt to new and sophisticated threats in the digital world,” said Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice, commenting on the report.
Newly appointed CEO of Hotline.ie, Mick Moran, said that reporting illegal content was crucial to the organisation’s fight against illegal content and CSAM.
“Our mission has always been to disrupt the cycle of child sexual abuse online, prevent re-victimisation, and support law enforcement in bringing offenders to justice,” he said.
“Hotline.ie encourages the public to continue using its secure and confidential platform to report illegal content. Every report helps protect victims and prevents future harm, ensuring a safer online environment for all.”
