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Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania join INHOPE
Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania join INHOPE in the global fight against online child sexual abuse content and the INHOPE AGM 2008 appoints new Board members.
INHOPE, the International Association of Internet hotlines, represents and coordinates a growing global network of hotlines. On 29 May, a special session of the INHOPE General Assembly welcomed three new members from Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania to join the network. There are now 33 INHOPE Hotlines in 29 countries working to remove illegal content from the Internet.
The 2008 INHOPE Board elections saw the re-election of Ruben Rodriguez from the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as INHOPE President. Former INHOPE Treasurer Frank Ackermann (Germany) was elected for a second term in the new position of Vice-President and INHOPE Member without Portfolio Francis Kim (South Korea) was also re-elected.
The election also resulted in two new Board members. Rytis Rainys from the Lithuania Hotline was elected to the position of Treasurer and Mari Laiho from the Finnish Hotline was also elected to the position of Board Member without Portfolio.
The new Board have the responsibility for the strategic direction and growth of INHOPE over the next two years.
Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute have been operating the European Commission funded Cypriot awareness node since 2006 and now operate the SafeNetCY Hotline. The Secretariat of Special Assignments, Minister for Electronic Government Affairs, Latvia, has been operating the EC funded awareness node since 2006 and has operated the Latvian Hotline since July 2007. Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (RRT) is a state institution founded in 2001 and also operates the Lithuanian awareness node. The new Safer Internet LT Hotline began taking reports in July 2007 and is also supported by the EC.
Hotlines have a key role to play by offering an easy way for the public to report potentially illegal content online. Each report is reviewed and traced by a content analyst and action is taken to ensure a swift response. INHOPE is the single point of contact for global reports of illegal content.
Birgit Roth, INHOPE Secretary General, welcomed the expansion of the INHOPE network, “The re-election of Ruben Rodriguez as President of INHOPE will enhance and strengthen the INHOPE network. INHOPE is focusing on identifying and welcoming new members from the European Union and around the world. The expansion of our network is crucial in the global fight against cyber crime.”
New Hotline Contact details:
The mission of INHOPE is to support and enhance the performance of Internet Hotlines around the World, ensuring swift action is taken in responding to reports of illegal action, making the internet a safer place.
The INHOPE Association of Internet Hotlines, co-ordinated from Ireland, was founded in 1999. Hotlines monitor the internet and it is where the general public can report illegal internet content such as child pornography. The hotline confidentially then reviews each report, referring illegal material onto the relevant law enforcement agencies or Internet Service Providers for further action.
Today, there are thirty three members of INHOPE worldwide, including members from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. Through meeting regularly to share knowledge and best practice, INHOPE and its members are working to tackle the global problem of illegal content online – and succeeding.
INHOPE is part funded by the EC Safer Internet Action Programme and Microsoft
INHOPE Board Member Biographies
Mr. Ruben Rodriguez from the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Hotline (NCMEC) was re-elected to the position of President. Mr Rodriguez has been with NCMEC since 1990. In September 2003, Mr Rodriguez was promoted to the newly created position of Director, Domestic and International Law Enforcement Affairs, International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC).
Mr. Frank Ackermann from the German ECO hotline was re -elected to the INHOPE Board in the position of Vice President. Mr Ackermann, Attorney at Law has worked within the Content Department of ECO since 2003.
Mr. Rytis Rainys from the Lithuania hotline was elected to the position of Treasurer. Mr Rainys is at present the Head of Network and Information Security Division within the Communications Regulatory Authority and Liaison Officer of ENISA in Lithuania.
Ms. Mari Laiho, Project Manager of Save the Children Finland Internet Activities was elected to the position of INHOPE Board Member without Portfolio. Ms Laiho has a Master of Economics and Business Administration and a Bachelor of Health. She has been working for Save the Children Internet Activities since 2006.
Mr. Francis Kim from the South Korean Hotline Korean Internet Safety Commission (KISCOM) was re-elected to the position of Board Member without Portfolio. Mr Kim joined KISCOM in 2005 as a coordinator of International Affairs.
INHOPE Marketing & Communications Coordinator
25 Sandyford Office Park, Dublin 18, Ireland
m: +353 87 99 614 99
Created: Fri, May 30th, 2008 | Last Modified: Mon, June 2nd, 2008
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