Paywalls hit Hotline.ie’s ability to act on CSAM
The body that allows members of the public to report illegal online content – including child sexual abuse material (CSAM) – has reported a big increase in the number of reports it processed last year.
Irish Internet Hotline (Hotline.ie) handled more than 61,317 reports last year – up 14.7% and the highest figure in its 26-year history.
Its analysts classified 50,902 reports (83% of the total) as illegal material.
Its annual report shows that 47,701 reports were received from international networks, 5,011 from analysts, and 8,605 from members of the public.
The report shows that 49,808 of the reports it received were assessed to be CSAM – a 10.8% increase compared with 2024.
‘Landscape has shifted’
Writing in the report, chief executive Mick Moran said that CSAM remained its largest and most demanding area.
Moran added, however, that the landscape had shifted, as platforms moved behind paywalls and paid-access barriers – including crypto-based access systems.
This led to a 53% drop in the number of actioned CSAM reports.
“The content has not gone away. Our ability to act has been deliberately restricted by those who thrive on its exploitation,” he stated.
As a matter of legal constraint and policy, Irish Internet Hotline does not pay to access content.
Public awareness
Moran said that the hotline had seen an increase in reports of Intimate-image abuse, adding that this reflected increased public awareness of its work since Coco’s Law came into force in 2021.
“People are learning that this behaviour is a crime and that something can be done about it,” he stated.
Reported financial scams targeting Irish residents rose by 52%, according to the report.
2024 act’s ‘limited’ effect
Racism and xenophobia reports decreased from 908 to 510 but, according to Moran, “the gap between what people expect to be illegal and what meets the legal threshold under Irish law remains wide”.
The report noted that online and racist content is covered under Irish law by the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 and the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024.
The 2024 act introduced hate crimes into Irish law for the first time.
“However, the legislation as enacted was significantly narrowed from its original proposals, and its practical effect on addressing illegal content in online spaces has so far been limited,” it stated.
The organisation is applying to become a trusted flagger under the EU Digital Services Act, which would mean that the reports it submits would be prioritised by online platforms.