Networked CSAM policing through the lens of the surveillance assemblage: a content analysis

• In Event: Digital Criminology: Surveillance, Power and Accountability

Abstract

Reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) have increased significantly in the last years. In an attempt to curb this issue, public and private parties have undertaken action through upscaling the automated processing of these reports and by exploring public-private partnerships. These developments have led to the emergence of a complex policing network in which automated and collaborative surveillance techniques play a central role. In the scope of this evolving landscape, a theoretical framework was developed, based on the surveillance assemblage by Haggerty & Ericson and Gary Marx’ surveillance analysis. The networked policing of CSAM offers a unique opportunity to test this theoretical framework. It provides a specific lens through which different actors, technologies, and regulatory mechanisms interact to produce an interconnected system of CSAM policing. To study this, a directed qualitative content analysis is deployed. This methodological approach enables an in-depth exploration of how individual actors, automated tools and institutional collaborations, function and are shaped, through studying key documents, policies and online and offline content. By systematically mapping the interplay between surveillance technologies and actors, this empirical analysis aims to critically shed light on the power dynamics, operational challenges and ethical implications inherent in this domain, viewed from a surveillance perspective.

Author

• Nena Decoster, Ghent University