As digitisation progresses, illegal online content unfortunately is also becoming increasingly common. No wonder, then, that the pressure on the so-called country-code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) to help in the fight against illegal online content is also growing. But what can ccTLD registries actually contribute as technical operators in the Internet infrastructure? CENTR explains the tasks of ccTLDs and their role in connection with online content in the recently published explanatory video.

One thing is certain: Abusive and illegal content is leading to an increasing loss of confidence in the Internet as a platform for information, innovation and creativity among users. For this reason, the respective ccTLD registry (country code Top Level Domain registry) is not only responsible for the provision and operation of the technical DNS infrastructure, but is also willing to contribute to the fight against illegal online content.

By the way, the classification of illegal content depends on the local legal framework and can therefore vary from country to country. For example, there are different regulations around the world regarding who has the authority to make an appropriate judgment. Ultimately, only two parties have direct access when it comes to removing content sustainably: The website operator and the hosting provider. If, on the other hand, it is not possible to actually delete a content, the only measures that remain are those such as blocking content. These are very ineffective, however, because the content itself is retained.

By the way, in Austria the initiative "Stopline", which is operated by the ISPA, is the online contact point for persons who come across sexual abuse depictions of minors or contents regarding National Socialist reactivation on the internet. The Stopline's primary objective is the fast and unbureaucratic removal of these contents from the internet, especially if they are hosted in Austria.

Here you can watch the video of CENTR: