Box 5.1 The Use of Peer-To-Peer Networks for Obtaining Sexually Explicit Material A report issued in July 2001 by the Minority Staff of the Special Investigations Division of the House Committee on Government Reform drew several conclusions about the use of peer-to-peer networks. Using the terminology "Internet file-sharing programs," the report found that Internet file-sharing programs are rapidly gaining users and that these programs provide free access to thousands of pornographic videos and images. Some peer-to-peer networks are established for the purpose of exchanging such content, while others are created for purposes such as music exchange but nevertheless contain some of these videos and images. Further, it found that the number of children using file-sharing programs is unknown, but is believed to be high. The inference drawn from the report by the public media was that a large number of children are gaining access to pornography through Internet file-sharing programs, but the report never states such a conclusion explicitly. Based on data regarding popular search terms in Internet file-sharing systems,1 the report did conclude that one of the major uses of Internet file-sharing programs is to exchange pornographic materials, such as adult videos. The report further concluded that children in search of music on Internet file-sharing programs are directed to pornographic files. This conclusion was based on the fact that a search for "Britney Spears" videos on one file-sharing service resulted in "hits" more than 70 percent of which were videos with pornographic titles. Searches for other popular musicians, such as Christina Aguilera and Madonna, also produced significant numbers of pornographic files. Source: Children's Access to Pornography Through Internet File-Sharing Programs, prepared for Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Rep. Steve Largent, Minority Staff, Special Investigations Division, Committee on Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, July 27, 2001. 1For example, the report noted that on one day sampled by the Special Investigations Division, 6 of the top 10 searches were for "porn," "sex," "xxx," and other terms intended to elicit pornography. One search for the term "porn" on a particular file-sharing system yielded over 25,000 entries, more than 10,000 of which were video files.