Pornhub’s chatbot trial in the UK led to a significant drop in searches for illegal content. It can even boast of being at the forefront of the fight against online child exploitation.
Over the past two years, Pornhub’s UK website has been hugely adapting and taking an innovative approach to tackling child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Working with two large UK-based child protection organizations, they implemented a warning system and chatbot response. This initiative led to a significant drop in CSAM searches, with 4.4 million warning messages deployed and the chatbot appearing 2.8 million times.
An innovative approach to deterrence
The trial program aimed at keeping individuals away from illegal content saw the introduction of a chatbot accompanied by a warning message every time someone in the UK searched for terms relating to child abuse on Pornhub. This dual approach aimed not only to dissuade users from accessing illegal content, but also to direct them to help services. According to a recent report, this initiative has significantly reduced the number of CSAM searches, highlighting the effectiveness of such interventions in combating online exploitation.
Strategic implementation and results
Pornhub, under its parent company Aylo (formerly MindGeek), uses a comprehensive list of 34,000 banned terms to block searches for illegal content. In 2020, in response to criticism, the company removed approximately 10 million videos in an effort to eradicate child abuse and other problematic content from its platform. The chatbot, developed by the Internet Watch Foundation and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, has played a crucial role in this endeavour, appearing millions of times to offer support and advice to would-be offenders.
Implications and future directions
The success of Pornhub’s trial program in the UK suggests that targeted interventions, such as warning messages and chatbots, can be effective tools in tackling online child exploitation. This innovative approach not only acts as a deterrent, but also provides individuals with the opportunity to seek help, which could reduce the demand for illegal content. As the digital landscape evolves, continued collaboration between technology companies and child protection organizations will be key to developing strategies to keep all internet users safe.
Source : bnn breaking
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