Pornhub chatbot to deter child abuse searches triggered 11,000 times in first month
A chatbot launched by the Stop It Now! helpline on Pornhub to deter users from searching for child abuse images was triggered more than 11,000 times in its first month, according to figures obtained by Flemish MP Freya Perdaens from minister Caroline Gennez.
The Stop It Now! helpline has long offered confidential advice and support to people concerned about their own sexual thoughts about minors or those of someone close to them. In August, it launched a pilot project on Pornhub featuring an AI-powered chatbot that appears when users enter search terms suggesting child sexual abuse. Previously, the site only displayed a warning; the chatbot now engages users directly, offering guidance and access to help.
According to Perdaens, the results are "hallucinatory". "In less than a month, the chatbot has been triggered no fewer than 11,100 times. This means that someone has searched for child abuse images on that site just as many times," she said.
The tool is modelled on a successful British version developed by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which operates Stop It Now! in the UK. During its first 18 months on Pornhub UK, the chatbot showed promising results: 82 per cent of users stopped looking for illegal images after one warning, and hundreds went on to seek help from the Stop It Now! helpline or its online self-help services. The format was later adapted for Flanders’ version of the initiative.
Minne De Boeck, criminologist at the University Forensic Centre and project coordinator for Stop It Now! Flanders, said the aim was to reach people before they offend or reoffend.
“The number of people searching for sexual images of children remains disturbingly high. We want to support those who are motivated to change their behaviour and are actively seeking help, to prevent them from reoffending. The more places we can be to reach this group, the more child sexual abuse we can prevent.”
"The number of people searching for sexual images of children remains disturbingly high"
The full evaluation of the Pornhub pilot will be published in December. "As far as I'm concerned, these figures are the best proof that such initiatives are absolutely necessary, and likely also on other pornographic websites," said Perdaens. "Early intervention is important to prevent escalation."
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO ROMAIN LONGIERAS / HANS LUCAS
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