Garda and Irish Internet Service Providers partner to block websites with child abuse material

A positive step to protecting children.

Today An Garda Síochána announced that internet sites containing child abuse material will be blocked. This comes as they also announce their partnership with internet service providers as a Garda Blocking Initiative to protect children. The initiative will apply to approximately 96 per cent of internet users in the country. Child abuse material and the access to it has long been a problem for Garda and internet providers. Over the last few years there has been an out pouring from concerned citizens about disturbing images of children circulating on the internet and in particular social media sites. It can feel incredibly frustrating for many to be able to do nothing but hit the 'report' button, never quite sure if anything will be done about it. Now thanks to this new initiative we can be assured that something will be done about it. An Garda Síochána in partnership with BT Ireland, Eir Ireland, Sky Ireland, Tesco Mobile, Three Ireland and Vodafone Ireland have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will block access to websites containing child sexual abuse material. The purpose of preventing access to such pages is to protect consumers, including children, from viewing documented child sexual abuse material, and to prevent the further exploitation of children who have already been abused and photographed/filmed. Speaking at today’s launch Detective Chief Superintendent Declan Daly, Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB), said:

"Child Abuse Material on the internet is an exploitative and demeaning crime. It is a child abuse offence, which has pathways to the contact offending of children. The continued introduction of blocking child abuse imagery in Ireland, protects children in our communities by reducing demand, it increases their protection and facilitates a concentration of policing resources towards those who seek to harm children online. I welcome the signing of these MOU’s today and renew An Garda Síochána’s commitment to working with industry to protecting children and preventing access to this material."

While this is not a complete solution to solving child abuse and exploitation it is a strong step in the right direction.