Irish Internet Hotline

Working at the Irish Internet Hotline, one of the most important and often misunderstood aspects of our role is disruption of the online circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). People often assume illegal content exists in isolation. In reality, it exists within systems, platforms, recommendation engines, marketplaces, and increasingly AI tools that can unintentionally enable its discovery, distribution, and normalisation. Hotlines sit at a critical point in that ecosystem. Every report we assess is more than just a single image or URL. It is part of a wider intelligence picture. Patterns emerge: repeat platforms, emerging technologies, gaps in moderation controls, and shifts in how abuse material is being surfaced or shared. One of the most serious risks we face is not just the existence of CSAM, but its gradual normalisation through platform design and algorithmic exposure. When harmful material is recommended, surfaced, or allowed to persist, it can reinforce harmful behaviours, desensitise users, and contribute to environments where abuse is more easily facilitated or concealed. Effective moderation plays a central role in disrupting this cycle but moderation is only as strong as the systems behind it. Failures in risk assessment, detection, or safety design can allow harmful content to remain visible longer than it should. This is why hotline work matters. By identifying, verifying, and escalating illegal content, we help: • Remove harmful material from circulation • Support law enforcement investigations • Provide intelligence on systemic platform risks • Strengthen the overall online safety ecosystem Increasingly, this work intersects with emerging technologies like generative AI and recommender systems, which introduce new risks alongside new capabilities. Online safety is not just about removing content after the fact. It’s about identifying patterns, disrupting harmful ecosystems, and contributing to safer digital environments through coordinated moderation, reporting, and regulatory action. Hotlines are a small but essential part of that global effort. https://lnkd.in/epV_-AzU

Roses are red. Violets are blue. If they ask you for money… it's probably not true. In 2025, the number of reported "romance scams" doubled, and it is often noted that there is a sharp increase in these incidences around Valentine's Day. A romance scammer will typically create fake online profiles on dating apps or social media to target and create emotional bonds with their victims in order to extract money from them. It usually starts with "love bombing", or fast declarations of big feelings and pet names. They move fast. The messages are intense. The compliments are constant. Then come the excuses for not meeting - "I'm travelling for work", "I'm in the army and stationed abroad", or "I'm working in a submarine under the Atlantic for the next six months." Then comes their crisis. Usually a medical emergency, travel costs, or a business problem.  These stories are designed to trigger sympathy and create pressure. And finally then a request for money. Genuine relationships develop over time. Scammers, on the other hand, tend to rush things, normally declaring strong feelings early on and creating a false sense of closeness. If an online relationship feels intense very quickly and then turns into requests for money, that’s a serious red flag. The advice is simple: take your time when forming new connections online. Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person. Be cautious if someone avoids video calls or repeatedly makes excuses not to meet. Report users you don't know on social media platforms who ask you for money to the platform itself. If you come across suspicious content, or harmful material linked to scams, you can report it anonymously to the Irish Internet Hotline at Hotline.ie/report. While financial losses should be reported to your bank and An Garda Síochána, reporting online content helps disrupt scam activity at its source.

Our CEO Mick Moran was pleased to speak at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Equality last Thursday, as part of the Safer Internet Centre (with our colleagues from ISPCC + Webwise Ireland + National Parents Council). The discussion was very productive and highlighted the urgent need to protect children online, from AI-driven risks and algorithmic harms to illegal content, and why CSEM, not just CSAM, must be made illegal. The Safer Internet Centre emphasised how targeted changes in the law could make a real difference in reducing online risks for young people. Strengthening regulation of tech companies is essential to keeping children safe in an increasingly online world. You can watch the session back in full here: https://lnkd.in/d-NXFzkS

📢 We’re hiring at the Irish Internet Hotline! We’re delighted to share that we’re currently recruiting for a Project Officer to join our team. This is a great opportunity to work with an organisation that plays a key role in promoting online safety and tackling illegal online content in Ireland. If you’re organised, motivated, and passionate about making a positive impact in the digital space, we’d love to hear from you. 🗓 Closing date: 12:00 (midday) on Thursday, 19th February 📄 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dEMYqnFQ Please feel free to share this post with your network and best of luck to all applicants!

We are uniting voices worldwide to say #NoToNudify. On Safer Internet Day, 10 February, we call for safety-by-design in AI and a global ban on nudifying functionalities. Our calls to action: Governments & Legislators: Ban nudifying tools, establish criminal and civil liability with safeguards, ensure enforcement, and support survivors. Technology Companies & Platforms: Implement safety-by-design, detect and block nudified content of children, prohibit nudification across ecosystems, and disrupt monetisation of abuse. Institutions & Citizens: Recognise the harm, refuse to tolerate their use, report violations, and act to keep children safe. Together, we can send a powerful message: nudifying tools have no place in a world that values children’s safety and dignity. Sign on as a supporter: https://lnkd.in/dyzjxsaM Safe Online Child Helpline International INHOPE Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Offlimits WeProtect Global Alliance

Irish Internet Hotline is joining thousands of people all over Ireland who are celebrating Safer Internet Day today! You can find out more at https://lnkd.in/dYz5xAVM #SID2026 #AIAware Webwise Ireland

We, along with our Safer Internet Centre colleagues, were very pleased to attend an important discussion in Leinster House yesterday, regarding the ongoing threats facing young people and children online. Many thanks to Senator Anne Rabbitte for the invitation. Webwise Ireland ISPCC National Parents Council

It was a pleasure to engage with partners through Supporting Children Online and to highlight the importance of collaboration in protecting children in the digital space. We work closely with organisations across the online safety ecosystem, including ISPCC, Webwise Ireland, and the National Parents Council, whose preventative and educational work plays a critical role in supporting children, parents, and educators. As Ireland’s reporting hotline for illegal & harmful online content, Irish Internet Hotline acts as a last line of defence ensuring harmful material is identified, assessed, and actioned in line with national and EU frameworks. Protecting children online requires a joined-up approach, and continued cooperation between prevention, education, and reporting services is essential to creating a safer digital environment, especially for children. #ReportRemoveResolve #OnlineSafety #ChildProtection #DigitalSafety

We're proud to welcome Mick Moran as one of INHOPE's newest Board Members! As CEO of the Irish Internet Hotline and a leader with over 30 years of experience in child online safety, Mick brings invaluable expertise to INHOPE. He is committed to supporting the staff and members, strengthening cooperation with law enforcement, and helping the organisation grow its impact in 2026 and beyond. 🔗 Read the full interview: https://ow.ly/ghm450Y4po2

Today is Data Protection Day! Considered as the new black gold, personal data protection has never been as crucial as today, especially with the rapid advancement of technologies, going from chatbots to Artificial Intelligence, all processing an enormous amount of personal data. Widely known as Privacy Day, it is now celebrated worldwide on January 28th. This celebrates the anniversary of the opening for signature in 1981 of the Council of Europe’s Convention 108, the first legally binding treaty protecting privacy in the digital world. Privacy, which includes the protection of personal data, is also protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, providing that “Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence”. The purpose of Data Protection Day is to inform people about their rights regarding their personal data and how to exercise them, as well as to raise awareness about the importance of protecting personal information. Data privacy is not only a one-day event, but is celebrated throughout the month with several events organised, including by the European Commission, Data Protection Authorities, and private companies, to reflect on the challenges that individuals might face with technological developments and the increasing risks to fundamental rights and democracy, especially for children for whom the digital world is central to their lives. In the European Union, the GDPR reinforces those rights, along with the Data Protection Act in Ireland. These pieces of legislation enable individuals to control personal data that is processed by controllers, and to ensure a safer internet where freedom, privacy, and democracy are protected. By promoting awareness of digital rights and safe online practices, Data Protection Day also reflects the mission of the Irish Internet Hotline to protect children and the public by enabling the reporting of illegal and harmful content online. Recently the Data Protection Commission Ireland, in collaboration with the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL - Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés) published a highly important (and now viral) video about the dangers of sharing personal data about your children online (known as sharenting). It highlights the harmful risks this practice poses to children, as well as providing guidance on safer sharenting. It bears sharing again for the day that's in it. https://lnkd.in/ejz4sSWp