- tech360.tv
Millions of Paywalls Hinder Oversight of OnlyFans
OnlyFans, a popular adult content portal, struggles to monitor child sexual abuse material (CSAM) due to creator-specific paywalls. OnlyFans willingly reports suspected CSAM to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Paywalls make it difficult for experts to objectively verify the scope of CSAM on OnlyFans.
Investigators and experts are having difficulty determining the scope of CSAM because each of the platform's 3.2 million creators has their own barrier.
Under US federal law, electronic service providers, including social media platforms and pornographic websites such as OnlyFans, are required to report any suspected child abuse to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). However, as a UK-based corporation, OnlyFans is not legally required to file reports with the NCMEC, although claiming to do so voluntarily.
OnlyFans claims to swiftly remove any suspicious CSAM and submit it to NCMEC's CyberTipline. In 2023, the business reported 347 such incidents out of "hundreds of millions of posts" on its site. OnlyFans credits this to its strong safety standards, pointing out that much of the dubious material is duplicate photographs or movies rather than CSAM.
However, specialists in online child sexual abuse claim that independent verification of the actual number of CSAM on OnlyFans is difficult due to the presence of paywalls. Each creator on the network has their own paywall, making it difficult for law enforcement to access content without subscribing or contacting OnlyFans.
Trey Amick, director of forensic consultants at Magnet Forensics Inc, a Canadian company that specialises in CSAM search tools, explains that police can typically obtain limited information from an account, such as a website address, a non-explicit photo of the creator, and some account description. Accessing information behind paywalls is exceedingly difficult without the help of OnlyFans.
OnlyFans asserts that once law enforcement requests their aid in a case, they share all relevant information, such as account credentials, content, and direct messages. They stress that police investigators do not need to subscribe to content to gain the necessary information.
Since late 2023, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has had "full access" behind OnlyFans' paywalls. However, this access is limited to accounts reported to NCMEC's CyberTipline or associated with missing child cases. NCMEC does not actively monitor or review information hidden behind paywalls or on other websites.
In order to improve transparency and safety precautions, OnlyFans recruited Michael Ward, a former US Justice Department prosecutor, as an independent third-party monitor. Ward's responsibility is to examine and evaluate OnlyFans' safety measures.
OnlyFans, a popular adult content platform, faces challenges in monitoring child sexual abuse material (CSAM) due to individual paywalls for each creator.
OnlyFans voluntarily reports suspected CSAM to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Experts find it difficult to independently verify the extent of CSAM on OnlyFans due to paywalls.
Source: REUTERS