End-To-End Encryption
Overview
End-to-end encryption is a term used to describe blocking or preventing any third-party recipient from viewing, reading or becoming aware of information that one individual has sent to another. In response to growing concerns about online data security, many technology companies are adopting this strategy with potentially dire circumstances.
The use of end-to-end encryption would prevent the companies or any third-party from detecting illegal activity occurring on their platforms, including the activity of people who use the internet to perpetuate online demand for graphic sexual abuse material of children.
We believe personal security is extremely important and support efforts to improve online privacy. But, if this solution is implemented with no exceptions for detecting child sexual exploitation, millions of incidents of abuse will remain hidden, leaving these young victims without any help or protection from these horrific crimes.
Risk Factors
With no technological exception to end-to-end encryption, the dehumanizing abuse of children will continue undetected and left as collateral damage. Their abusers and the people who trade the images and videos of this abuse will be protected.
The effects are long lasting for these victims, leaving them struggling in their recovery. Survivors have spoken about their feelings of revictimization as the images and videos continue to be circulated online.
By the Numbers
NCMEC has received over
180 million
reports of child sexual exploitation to our CyberTipline.
Children of all ages
are seen in child sexual abuse material including very young children and infants.
NCMEC estimates that
more than half
of its CyberTipline reports could vanish with end-to-end encryption, leaving abuse undetected.
What NCMEC is Doing About it
We oppose privacy measures that fail to address how the internet is used to entice children into sexually exploitive situations and to traffic images and videos of children being raped and sexually abused. NCMEC calls on our tech partners to find technological solutions that will enhance consumer privacy while prioritizing child safety.
NCMEC is also working closely with our Congressional leaders, and academic and policy experts on possible legislative solutions.
NCMEC will continue to operate the CyberTipline, which was created in 1998 as a centralized reporting mechanism for suspected child sexual exploitation. Access to this information is sometimes the only way that law enforcement can rescue a child from an abusive situation and identify and arrest an offender. NCMEC staff review each tip and work to find a potential location for the incident reported so that it may be made available to the appropriate law-enforcement agency.
To make a report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/.
NCMEC will stand with survivors who are opposed to the implementation of end-to-end encryption without an exception for detecting child sexual abuse material. Many survivors fear that this would remove their only hope for the removal of the images of their abuse from online.
NCMEC will continue to work with survivors to help remove the images from online when possible.
NCMEC also provides information for survivors who want to take quick action if they are made aware of their images or videos online. Learn how to contact the internet service providers to report files circulating online.