NetClean, the creator of ProActive, a centrally run software system that protects company networks from child pornography, has slammed big businesses and governments for not taking the issue seriously enough.
NetClean founder Pelle Gara believes that the technology now exists to rid child pornography from the Internet once and for all but says attitudes towards the problem remain a major stumbling block.
He said: "We can absolutely remove images and videos of child pornography from the Internet and computers. Some of the biggest companies in the world don’t have the technology on their computers that can deal with this, though. Many of these companies will have at least 100,000-150,000 computers but they don’t have it."
Gara feels that politicians and businessmen are too focussed on problems that only affect themselves.
He said: "I think all problems connected to 40-year-old white guys are top of the agenda and everything else is dealt with later on, whether it’s a female or child issue.
"I don’t see a reason why we can’t get rid of child pornography. It’s not a technology problem anymore. It’s a policy or politician problem.
"I think people feel that the subject of sexual crimes against children is so hideous that they don’t want to deal with it. I think that’s the biggest problem."
Companies now need to incorporate serious matters such as this into their corporate social responsibility agendas, he added.
"People always talk about corporate social responsibility," he said. "It’s always a lot of fancy words. People can choose to ensure there is no child pornography on their corporate network. Install our solution. If just one illegal photo appears on one of your computers you know about it. You can deal with it and move on, and the CEO can genuinely say that they are taking social responsibility.
"If one company does it why are all companies not doing it? They tell us they’ll think about it. What is it to think about? Is it the price? They don’t even ask me the price. They’re lying and hiding from the problem."
