Attorney General Gansler Endorses Partnership Between Cable Providers and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

BALTIMORE, MD (July 18, 2008) – Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced his support for an important agreement between the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that will help prevent the proliferation of images of child sexual abuse online.

Specifically, the cable companies have volunteered to use NCMEC’s list of active websites identified as containing images of child sexual abuse to ensure that no such site is hosted on servers owned or controlled by those companies. The companies also will report these incidents to NCMEC’s CyberTipline and, where appropriate, revise their policies around other potential sources of images of child sexual abuse. Together, the NCTA member companies involved in this important initiative - which include Comcast and Time Warner Cable - deliver Internet service to 87 percent of the homes in America.

“Combating the proliferation of child pornography and images of child sexual abuse is a priority for all law enforcement agencies,” said Attorney General Gansler. “I am pleased that the cable industry has taken a strong stand and joined us in our fight to protect the most vulnerable of our community, our children.”

Further information on Attorney General Gansler’s internet safety initiative, C.L.I.C.K.S., can be found at www.oag.state.md.us/clicks.htm