The Child Sexual Abuse Filter

Telenor is a pioneer within this field and became the world's first telecom operator to cooperate with law enforcement authorities in creating such a filter. In 2004, Telenor, Norway entered into a cooperative agreement with The Norwegian National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos). In June 2005, this partnership extends to include not only internet subscribers, but also to block prohibited content from the mobile customers.

The role of the police

As part of the agreement, Kripos provides a hotline where people can tip the authorities about illegal sites containing child sexual abuse material. Professionals at Kripos perform the content screening, and continuously provide Telenor with an updated list of web sites that should be blocked.

The role of Telenor

Our role is limited to provide the technical solution and manage the filtering process based on a list of prohibited web sites, provided by Kripos. Telenor does not engage in any kind of censorship or evaluation of the legality of content distributed by others. The partnership therefore clearly states that Kripos shall be responsible for making all assessments as to legal issues related to content.

Exporting the filter to other markets

Telenor is a member of the GSM Association (GSMA), a global trade organisation representing more than 750 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries. Following the promising results of the filter in Norway, the association launched "the Mobile Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Content" in February 2008. Several major mobile operators joined forces to expand the global outreach of the filter and prevent individuals in using mobile networks to host, access or profit from child sexual abuse content.