Technical Explainers: Detecting CSA online
Detecting CSA online — A technical and historical primer for policy makers
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection C3P asked Dr. Farid, the co‑creator of PhotoDNA, to discuss his view on the proactive detection of child sexual abuse imagery, encryption, industry‑wide copyright, malware scanning, and what he thinks the technology industry’s position on deploying platform‑wide child sexual abuse material (CSAM) prevention technology reveals about their priorities.
The following video features Dr. Farid summarizing themes discussed in the full-length video above.
A conversation with Dr. Hany Farid: The fight against online child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
Short-form videos:
Dr. Farid discusses the lack of effort put forth by the technology industry to address online harms.
Dr. Farid discusses what PhotoDNA is, the process involved, and its efficiency.
Dr. Farid describes where “hashing” technology is already in use and why it is needed.
Dr. Farid discusses what is needed for the “hashing” technology to be the most effective, and the need for a universal standard for video hashing.
Dr. Farid discusses the purpose and limitation of end-to-end encryption.
Dr. Farid discusses how “hashing” can be integrated into encrypted systems through Client-side Hashing or using Secure Enclaves, providing detailed descriptions of each.
Dr. Farid describes how client-side hashing is already in use by technology companies to protect their clients but not children.
Dr. Farid explains how the technology used to protect copyright material could be used to help stop the spread of CSAM but is not seen as a priority.
Dr. Farid explains how safety of children is not a priority for technology companies and what strategies are needed to stop harmful content from being so readily available online.