NRW advocates for the removal of platform harboring abusive images - Regional authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia advocate for the establishment of a platform to remove abusive images.
Wanting to protect kids from the long-lasting effects of their abuse, Interior Minister Herbert Reul of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) calls for a centralized platform to swiftly remove child pornography from the internet. Joining forces with Lower Saxony, they've presented a resolution proposal for the Interior Ministers' Conference (IMC).
Reul spoke with dpa, pointing out that the police have been successful in rescuing children from abusers and capturing perpetrators. However, he isn't content with just that. "We can't ignore the fact that the created images and videos continue to circulate after their capture," he warns.
Striving for Simplicity
Minimizing the effort required by authorities to remove abusive content, Reul emphasized the need for a simple solution to automate and expedite deletion requests to hosting providers. The proposed resolution highlights this need, asking for quick implementation of the reporting and removal platform of the Federal Criminal Office (BKA).
A Work in Progress
Previously, Reul explained that the Federal Criminal Office is developing such a platform, enabling law enforcement to send automated deletion requests en masse to hosting providers. The federal Ministry of the Interior is expected to report its progress on this platform to the IMC in the fall. The conference will be held in Bremerhaven from Wednesday to Friday.
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Interior Ministers' Conference
- Herbert Reul
- Children
- Lower Saxony
- Protection of Children
- Internet Safety
- Online Child Abuse
Additional Insights 🔍
As of my last update (early 2024), efforts to establish a central removal platform for child abuse images are ongoing. Key challenges include coordination with internet service providers, content hosts, and federal agencies, as well as addressing data protection concerns and avoiding over-blocking.
Some pilot projects or enhanced cooperation with existing federal systems may be underway, but an operational central platform specific to NRW or Lower Saxony has not been widely reported. The success of the initiative may pave the way for other German states to adopt similar measures, provided sufficient resources and collaboration can be secured.
- As part of their commitment to safeguarding children from online abuse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony have proposed a resolution to the Interior Ministers' Conference, emphasizing the need for a simplified and automated system to swiftly remove child pornography from the internet.
- In his pursuit of a streamlined approach, Interior Minister Herbert Reul of North Rhine-Westphalia is advocating for the implementation of the reporting and removal platform of the Federal Criminal Office, aiming to minimize the effort required by authorities to eliminate abusive content from the internet.
