Disrupting the worldwide spread of child sexual abuse material: Project Arachnid marks eight years

Millions of child sexual abuse images have been successfully removed from circulation on the internet since the launch of Project Arachnid, a world-leading Winnipeg-based technology created by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P). This year marks the platform’s eighth year in operation.

Since 2017, Project Arachnid, a software platform that deploys web crawlers in search of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet, has found, processed, and taken action against nearly 50 million images and videos of CSAM. In total, it has issued removal notices to more than 1,500 online service providers hosting the material, across more than 100 countries.

"The volume of this material is such that it can be easy to lose track of the fact that these aren’t just pictures or computer files. We have to remember these are recordings that memorialize some of the most traumatic and abusive moments of a child’s life,” says Lianna McDonald, C3P’s executive director.

“Project Arachnid has been a life raft for many survivors of these crimes who often live in a state of fear and deep anxiety over the spread of these images online. We have made it our mission to work day and night to eradicate the recordings of their abuse from the internet.”

Project Arachnid’s global reach is made possible by a network of contributors from 16 allied child protection organizations spanning five continents who support the platform by assisting in the crucial image review process. A number of child protection and victim-centric initiatives are made possible by these collaborations, including, but not limited to:

• CSAM survivor support services;
• Bringing the voice of CSAM survivors and their families into Canadian courtrooms;
• Disrupting the exchange of child sexual abuse imagery across offender communities on the Dark web;
• Informing government and regulators on online harm trends.

Testimonials from Project Arachnid’s international collaborators:

“Working with Project Arachnid has given us a new tool and perspective of fighting CSAM, while networking with dedicated partners and colleagues. In this fight we cannot be alone, and Project Arachnid has brought us together from every angle of the world.”

"It is an incredible privilege to be among the few analysts worldwide contributing to this groundbreaking project. We are sincerely grateful to C3P for their trust in us and their invaluable investment in training. By leveraging advanced technology against the misuse of technology to exploit minors, we are driving this critical fight forward.

Through this initiative, analysts are empowered to classify and address CSAM with confidence, precision, and control. Its continually improving impact highlights the transformative power of innovation. This is the future, and we are honored to be part of it."

“eSafety – Australia’s independent online safety regulator – is proud to have partnered with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s Project Arachnid since 2019 in tackling the global epidemic of online child sexual abuse material. Project Arachnid has established an impressive track record of success in detecting and ensuring the removal of this most horrific material, and we congratulate our colleagues in Canada on the 8th anniversary of this vital work.”

"For us at Save the Children Finland, working with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection Inc. has been paramount. We see Project Arachnid as an essential global tool to speed up the removal of child sexual abuse material from the web and thereby strengthen the realisation of children's rights."

“The circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online causes serious, long-term harm to children, but it can be stopped. By being part of Project Arachnid, we can help remove images and videos when children reach out to us in distress. Acting quickly to remove this material sends an important message to the child: there is a way forward, and you are not alone in this.

Arachnid also helps us work more proactively to stop child sexual abuse. With its combination of global collaboration and technology, we can take down much more CSAM than we could if we only relied on tips from the public. ECPAT [Sweden] is proud to be a part of Project Arachnid which makes our work more effective and gives us a better chance to protect children and fight the dissemination of CSAM.”

For more information about Project Arachnid’s achievements since launching eight years ago, visit ProjectArachnid.ca/8th-anniversary.