Microsoft is rumored to be teaming up with several other tech companies in a major effort to rid the internet of child abuse images. The program is said to use PhotoDNA, Microsoft's software that has been used by law enforcement in the past for the same purpose.
The Times reports that the other companies that will be working with Microsoft are Google, Twitter, Facebook and three other unnamed companies. Each company has its own separate system for discovering child sexual abuse images, but with the new project they will join forces to form a single database.
Microsoft's PhotoDNA software can create a unique digital signature of each child abuse image. It can then compare the signature with signatures of other images discovered on other websites. With this cross-check, they will be able to determine where the photos originated.
So far, only Google has confirmed that it will participate in the project. Microsoft has not yet confirmed its participation.
