White IT

White IT is an initiative with the objective to identify adequate actions against child pornography in the internet. In the context of this initiative, the delegates of victim's associations, internet companies, the IT industry and medical associations are co-operating ^[1] on the base of a Memorandum of Understanding.^[2] The name White IT was chosen analogously to Green IT. So far it is only active in Germany, yet the long term scope is international.

Objectives and methods

Uwe Schünemann, home secretary of the German state of Lower Saxony initiated the initiative that was founded November 27, 2009 in Berlin.^[3] The objective is to develop concepts in an open minded and holistic approach that are

• eligible from the medical and the victim's point of view
• socially accepted
• technically feasible
• legally possible

These aspects are to be cross-checked continuously.^[4]

An academic study on the means of proliferation of child pornography in the internet is the initial point to start a discussion basing on facts and to develop specific counter measures. The study was realised by Bernd-Dieter Meier, professor at the Kriminalwissenschaftliches Institut (Institute for Criminology) at the University of Hanover. The study bases on the analysis of court records in Lower Saxony.

Study on Proliferation

The first results of the study were presented November 24 and 25 2010 at a symposium in Hanover.^[5][6][7]

The study itself war presented Mai 2nd 2011 in Berlin. The major results are:

• Only in a minority of cases the provisioning or proliferation had monetary aspects. These were predominantly "rookies", who paid for criminal contents that are available for free in the internet. Yet the respective websites were often also bogus or dispreading malware.
• Most of the culprits acquired or distributed child pornography not in the World Wide Web, but in peer-to-peer-networks or other closed user groups. They were motivated by bragging and mutual exchange among like-minded
• A significant majority of cases were disclosed by police investigation, not by criminal complaints
• The use of undercover police officers is limited by the practice in the milieu that newcomers have to contribute child pornography themselves before being accepted in these circles.
• All cases that came to court were most severe offences (level seven until nine on the COPINE scale. Only explicit evidence let to indictments, yet almost all indictments let to a conviction.^{[8][9][10][11]}

This study is the first empirical academic analysis of the proliferation of child pornography. In the base of these results counteractive measures are under development.

External links

• Link to the website of the initiative (in German)
• Information to the study on the professors's website (in German)

References

1. ^ Initial contributors are according to Press release form November 27th 2009: Ärztekammer Niedersachsen, Avira GmbH, Auerbach-Stiftung, BITKOM e.V., Computacenter AG & Co oHG, Cybits AG, Deutscher Kinderschutzbund e.V., ECO – Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft e.V., EWE TEL GmbH, Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Mulitmedia-Diensteanbieter e.V., Fujitsu Technology Solutions GmbH, IBM Deutschland, University of Hannover, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Inneres, Sport und Integration, ORACLE Deutschland GmbH, Psychotherapeutenkammer Niedersachsen, Software AG, Secude IT Security GmbH, Universität Potsdam – Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Softwaresystemtechnik
2. ^ Memorandum of Understanding of the initiative dated November 27th 2009
3. ^ see Heise-Online: "White IT": Staat und Wirtschaft vereint gegen Kinderpornographie (Government and IT Industry united against child pornography)
4. ^ also see the Memorandum of Understanding of the initiative Memorandum of Understanding of White IT of November 27th 2009
5. ^ see Netzwelt-Ticker on Spiegel-Online and Heise-Online: Keine Patentlösung gegen Kinderpornografie (No patent solution against child pornography)
6. ^ to the symposium see. c't 2010, No. 26; Speichern, sperren, strafen - Was nützt gegen Verbreitung von Kinderpornografie (Save, block, punish - what helps against child pornography?)
7. ^ Auf der Suche nach den Verbreitungswegen der Kinderpornografie (Looking for the means of proliferation of child pornography) Zeit-Online of November 25th, 2010
8. ^ Studie: Tauschbörsen sind Hauptverbreitungskanal für Kinderpornografie (Study: peer-to-peer file sharing is the predominant channel for child pornography) Heise-Online of May 2nd, 2011
9. ^ "Unerschöpfliches Angebot'" (Inexhaustible Offer) Süddeutsche Zeitung vom Mai 2nd 2011
10. ^ Studie – Kostenlose Tauschbörsen sind der größte Markt (Free peer-to-peer networks are the biggest market) Focus-Online of Mai 2nd, 2011
11. ^ Informationen to the study on the professor's website