Anonymization: A Threat to Children Online

Anonymizing tools, such as VPNs and proxies, are growing increasingly popular. People have various motivations to operate anonymously online, such as accessing geofenced streaming content, evading censorship or bypassing firewalls. However, the ability to anonymously operate online is also exploited by those seeking to commit crimes and abuse children.

The distribution and circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) are fuelled by internet anonymity. As a result, internet anonymizers create barriers to law enforcement investigations, place pressure on organizations dealing with reports, and trap victims in a cycle of exploitation.

In this whitepaper, you’ll learn:

• The scale of online child sexual abuse (OCSE) and its intersection with internet anonymity
• The nature of anonymizing tools that are exploited by OCSE offenders, such as VPNs, proxies and Tor
• Tools that are available to detect VPNs and proxies and their associated benefits to law enforcement investigations.