Abstract
The Internet is a network of interconnected computers used primarily for commerce, communication, and information exchange. As of July 1998, the Internet consisted of nearly 37 million connected computers, and it is growing at a rate of 40% to 50% annually. Although commercial sites now dominate the information superhighway, some potholes mar the openness of the Internet's information exchange. The authors found a veritable explosion of gigabytes of pornographic material on the Internet when using several search engines or portals (Netscape, Internet Explorer, and so on). Some of these activities, especially those depicting the sexual exploitation of children, are both unsavory and illegal. Globally, governments, policing agencies, and commercial organizations have attempted with growing success to limit access to child pornography. To cope with the growing technological sophistication of childporn purveyors, greater interagency and international cooperation will be needed.
