Slashdot Mirror
Google Aims To Cull Child Porn By Algorithm, Not Human Review
According to a story at VentureBeat, "Google is working on a new database of flagged images of child porn and abuse that can be shared with other search engines and child protection organizations. The database will help create systems that automatically eliminate that sort of content. ...
If the database is used effectively, any flagged image in the database would not be searchable through participating search engines or web hosting providers. And maybe best of all, computers will automatically flag and remove these images without any human needing to see them." Here's the announcement.
The summary is a bit incomplete. I suppose that if the algorithm finds something, it will warm law enforcement.
FTFA: "This will enable companies, law enforcement and charities to better collaborate on detecting and removing these images, and to take action against the criminals." "We can do a lot to ensure it’s not available online—and that when people try to share this disgusting content they are caught and prosecuted. "
I don't care if I'm wrong. I only care about everyone obtaining something from the discussion.
Since 2008, we’ve used “hashing” technology to tag known child sexual abuse images, allowing us to identify duplicate images which may exist elsewhere. Each offending image in effect gets a unique ID that our computers can recognize without humans having to view them again . Recently, we’ve started working to incorporate encrypted “fingerprints” of child sexual abuse images into a cross-industry database. This will enable companies, law enforcement and charities to better collaborate on detecting and removing these images, and to take action against the criminals. Today we’ve also announced a $2 million Child Protection Technology Fund to encourage the development of ever more effective tools. [emphasis added]
Unfortunately it is out there. In a previous life as an intern I received a computer from a retail store that needed "fixed" as the store manager put it. Figuring it had some malware on it I booted it up to see what the damage was. Almost as soon as the computer was started numerous browser sessions autostarted with some of the most vile websites you wouldn't want to imagine. It wasn't a picture or two of some amateur girlfriend that might have been a little too young. They had the appearance of professionally designed and maintained websites just like any other porn website, but just happened to have kids 13- instead of 18+. I just turned off the computer, went to my boss, explained briefly what I found and said I wasn't dealing with it.
That was 13+ years ago. I'm sure things have changed some since then, but I'm also not naive to think that child porn is just on the "dark internet" whatever that is.
Turned out to be a false positive? I won't sleep much over it, unless someone genuinely innocent gets destroyed by this. But probabilistically, the chance of such occurrence is so low, not impossible, but so extremely low (truly innocent person in possession of child porn), I'm willing to live with the consequences.
You, sir, are a grade-A asshole
Are you considering the possibility that you might be the target of the false positive (however unlikely)? Because it is mighty kind of you to be willing to live with the consequences of someone else's life being ruined due to false positive.
All of this would be a less horrible idea if the law enforcement found a less damaging way to investigate (i.e. keep the accusation completely private until it is proven in court). Otherwise lives are utterly ruined well before the investigation is concluded.