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
Table of Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................ i

I. Introduction ............................................................ 1

II. Internet File-Sharing Programs ............................................. 1

A. Access and Use of File-Sharing Programs ............................... 2

B. Popularity ........................................................ 3

III. Prevalence of Pornography on Peer-to-Peer Networks ........................... 4

A. Popularity and Availability of Pornography ............................. 4

B. Types of Pornography .............................................. 4

IV. Unintended Exposure to Pornography ........................................ 5

V. Failure of Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

A. Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 5

B. Customized Settings ............................................... 6

C. Filters Within File-Sharing Programs .................................. 7

VI. Use of File-Sharing Programs by Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

VII. Conclusion ............................................................. 8

Appendix 1: Top 30 Most Popular Queries on the Gnutella Network (June 26, 2001) ........ 9

Appendix 2: Snapshot of Search Results for “Porn” on BearShare (July 20, 2001) . . . . . . ... 10

Appendix 3: Snapshot of Video Search Results for “Porn” on Music City Morpheus 

 (July 24, 2001). . ................................................. 11

Appendix 4: Snapshot of Video Search Results for “Britney Spears” on Aimster 

 (July 24, 2001) ................................................... 12
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

At the request of Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and Steve Largent (R-OK), this report

examines a new and growing problem for parents throughout the United States: Internet filesharing programs that provide children easy and free access to thousands of explicit pornographic

videos and other pornographic materials. These file-sharing programs include such popular

software as Music City Morpheus, BearShare, and Aimster.

The use of personal computers to access new peer-to-peer file-sharing networks is

expanding rapidly. Napster popularized the notion of file sharing through a peer-to-peer

network, claiming as many as 70 million users at its peak. But as Napster continues to face

litigation from the music industry for copyright infringement, computer users are searching for

alternatives and increasingly turning to a new wave of file-sharing programs. Most of these new

programs have more features than Napster because they can share any type of files, including

video files. Moreover, they are harder to regulate than Napster because they operate without a

central directory that manages the file-sharing operations.

The explosive growth of Internet file-sharing programs poses a unique problem for both

parents and their children. On the web, the most graphic content, such as x-rated adult video, is

available primarily through commercial sites that impose credit card fees on users. By contrast,

file-sharing networks have the same content available for free, eliminating the need for a child to

have access to a credit card. Moreover, most popular parental filters do not block access to

pornographic materials obtained through file-sharing programs. It is possible for a parent to

install a filtering program to block access to pornographic pictures available through adult web

sites -- only to discover that his or her child has unrestricted access to pornographic videos

through file-sharing programs. 

These risks are compounded by the pervasiveness of pornography on file-sharing

networks. Teenagers who use these programs to search for music or videos of popular artists can

be unexpectedly inundated by files containing explicit pornographic content. 

This report on Internet file-sharing programs was prepared by the Special Investigations

Division of the minority staff of the Committee on Government Reform at the request of Reps.

Waxman and Largent. It is the first report to examine the use of these file-sharing programs for

the transfer of pornographic materials.

Major Findings

Internet file-sharing programs are rapidly gaining users. File-sharing alternatives to

Napster, such as Music City Morpheus, BearShare, and Aimster, are surging in popularity. 

According to recent figures, these file-sharing programs have at least as many users today as

Napster did a year ago. One leading Internet clearinghouse for software recently reported that

more than 3.1 million copies of these file-sharing programs were downloaded from its site in just

one week. 
ii

Internet file-sharing programs provide free access to thousands of pornographic

videos and images. Although the new file-sharing programs are often viewed as a means of

obtaining free music online, one of the major uses of the programs is to exchange pornographic

materials, such as adult videos. Several of the most popular file-sharing programs are Gnutellabased programs. On these programs, six of the top ten searches on a recent day were for “porn,”

“sex,” “xxx,” and other terms intended to elicit pornography. A single search for the term “porn”

using BearShare yielded over 25,000 entries, more than 10,000 of which were video files. All of

these entries required no charge or age restriction to download.

The pornographic content available through the file-sharing programs includes, but is not

limited to, graphic adult videos. The content also includes child pornography, violent

pornography, and bestiality. On a recent day, the eighth leading search on the Gnutella network

was “preteen”; the sixteenth most popular was “rape.”

Children in search of music on file-sharing programs are directed to pornographic

files. Even if children innocently use these programs with the goal of obtaining music or video

from their favorite artists, they can encounter pornography. When the Special Investigations

Division used the popular file-sharing program Aimster to search for videos of “Britney Spears,”

over 70% of the results were pornographic files. Searches for “Christina Aguilera” and

“Madonna” also produced extensive pornographic content.

Popular parental filters do not block access to pornographic files through filesharing programs. Many parents install parental filters to protect their children from

encountering pornographic content online. These programs, however, are generally designed to

block access to pornography from web sites, not through the new file-sharing programs. When

installed in their default configuration, which is the setting most frequently used by parents, five

of seven popular parental control programs examined by the Special Investigations Division fail

to block access to pornography through Internet file-sharing programs. Moreover, four of the

seven programs do not have the capability to be configured to effectively block such access. The

programs that fail to block access include two of the most popular: Net Nanny and Cyber Patrol.

The number of children using file-sharing programs is unknown, but is believed to

be high. Precise data on the number of persons under 18 using file-sharing programs is not

available because none of the surveys of usage of these programs identify users by age. Experts

contacted by the Special Investigations Division, however, consistently expressed the view that

many of the users of file-sharing programs are under 18. According to one survey, one-third of

teens ages 12 to 17 have downloaded songs from Napster. Experts believe that as Napster’s

appeal declines, many of these teens are turning to the new file-sharing programs.
1The Markle Foundation, Toward a Framework for Internet Accountability, 20 (July

2001).

1

I. INTRODUCTION

In recent years, there has been growing public concern over the prevalence of sex and

violence on televison, in the movies, and in other forms of popular culture. For many parents,

the largest worry has been the exposure of their children to pornography on the world wide web. 

According to a recent Markle Foundation study, pornography and violence rank as the public’s

greatest Internet concern.1

Although there is widespread concern about pornography on the web, few parents are

aware of the risks posed by the explosive growth of file-sharing programs on the Internet. 

Countless articles have been written about the dangers of pornography on the web, but there has

been virtually no coverage of the even greater risks that children may face through the use of filesharing programs. Press coverage of these technologies has generally focused on their rapid

growth and unregulated nature without examining the issues that they raise for parents concerned

about children’s exposure to graphic adult content. 

The first popular file-sharing program was Napster, which pioneered a new way to exploit

Internet technology by creating a system in which computer users could download files from

other users. Napster, however, permitted users to download only music files. The new

generation of file-sharing programs allows users to download a wide array of files, including

adult videos and other pornographic content. Moreover, unlike Napster, most of the new filesharing programs do not operate through central directories, making regulation more difficult.

Because of the lack of public awareness about the access that children have to

pornographic materials on file-sharing programs, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, a Democrat from

California, and Rep. Steve Largent, a Republican from Oklahoma, requested that the Special

Investigations Division of the minority staff of the House Committee on Government Reform

investigate the new file-sharing programs. This report presents the results of this investigation. 

It is the first report to examine the use of file-sharing programs for the transfer of pornographic

materials.

II. INTERNET FILE-SHARING PROGRAMS

File-sharing programs are a means of accessing peer-to-peer networks. These networks

are online networks that allow users to share and download files without charge. Most peer-topeer networks work separately from web sites or web browsers. Once the file-sharing software is

downloaded and installed on a personal computer, users need to be online to access files from

other computers, but they do not need to open their web browser. By simply clicking on the

program’s icon, users are connected to a network where they can search for, download, and trade

files.
2Matt Richtel, With Napster Down, Its Audience Fans Out, New York Times (July 20,

2001).

3Matt Richtel, With Napster Down, Its Audience Fans Out, New York Times (July 20,

2001).

2

Napster once dominated the field of Internet file-sharing programs. At the height of its

popularity, Napster claimed as many as 70 million users.2 But Napster’s popularity has faded as

record companies have prevailed in legal challenges. This has created a surge of interest in

alternative file-sharing programs. As the New York Times reported in a front-page article on

July 20, 2001:

The record industry’s largely successful effort to cripple Napster . . . has left it facing

something potentially worse: a new generation of music-swapping sites, more numerous

and much harder to police. 

Figures to be released today show that a precipitous drop in Napster’s traffic over the last

several weeks has been paralleled by marked growth in more than half a dozen less

centralized services.3

The new file-sharing programs like Music City Morpheus, BearShare, Aimster, and

LimeWire, differ from Napster in two significant ways. First, Napster supports only the sharing

of MP3 audio files. The new file-sharing programs can be used to download any type of file,

including photographs, video files, and software. Second, Napster operates through a central

server. Although users of Napster download MP3 files from other users, the users identify the

files that they want to download by accessing Napster’s central computers. Many of the new filesharing programs turn users’ computers into temporary servers, avoiding the need for any

organized central server.

A. Access to and Use of File-Sharing Programs

Each peer-to-peer network can be accessed by downloading file-sharing software from

the Internet. More than a dozen of the new file-sharing programs use the “Gnutella protocol,”

which is a format that allows the software to communicate with other users. Popular file-sharing

programs that use the Gnutella protocol include BearShare, LimeWire, Gnotella, Gnucleus,

Bodtella, Mactella, and Newtella. Other file-sharing programs operate under the same principles,

but use different protocols. These include Music City Morpheus, Aimster, KaZaA, iMesh,

FreeNet, WinMX, FileNavigator, Hotline, MyNapster, Direct Connect, eDonkey2000, Jungle

Monkey, Mojo Nation, Flycode, Konspire, and Filetopia. 

Once file-sharing software is downloaded, users can access the network as long as they

are online without having to open a web browser like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. 

Users type in search terms and the software searches other computers connected to the network
4Matt Richtel, With Napster Down, Its Audience Fans Out, New York Times (July 20,

2001).

5Napster Press Release, Community of Napster Users Now Exceeds 20 Million; Music

Lovers of All Ages and Diverse Interests Drive Record Adoption Rate, (July 19, 2000). 

6Online at

http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10005-102-0-1.html?tag=st.dl.10005.pop.10005-102-0-1;

http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10001-102-0-1.html?tag=st.dl.10001.dir.10001-102-1;

http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10004-102-0-1.html?tag=st.dl.10004.pop.10004-102-0-1

7Matt Richtel, With Napster Down, Its Audience Fans Out, New York Times (July 20,

2001).

3

for matches. As matches are returned, the user can make selections and download them to the

computer’s hard drive. Download times vary significantly based on a variety of factors. Matches

can be organized by several categories including the length of the file, the type of file (music,

video, photograph), the size of the file, the provider’s connection (modem, cable, DSL), and the

title of the file. 

B. Popularity

As Napster’s popularity dwindles, use of alternative peer-to-peer networks has exploded. 

Just one file-sharing program, Music City Morpheus, claimed 518,000 simultaneous users on

July 18, 2001.4 This makes this program as popular as Napster was in July 2000.5

CNET’s Download.com is a leading Internet clearinghouse for software. According to its

data, file-sharing programs are now the most popular downloaded software on the Internet. In

the week ending July 15, the single most popular download from CNET was Music City

Morpheus, which was downloaded more than a million times. Among the ten most popular

downloads, six were multimedia file-sharing programs. KaZaA was downloaded more than

580,000 times, iMesh more than 550,000 times, BearShare more than 540,000 times, and

LimeWire more than 160,000 times. Altogether, CNET reports that more than 3.1 million copies

of file-sharing programs were downloaded from its site in just one week.6

According to the vice president of CNET’s Download.com, “with Napster not working,

all 50 million users are most likely looking for an alternative.”7

One of the factors driving increased use of the new file-sharing programs is the growth in

fast, broadband connections, such as cable and DSL connections. The website eMarketer.com

estimates that by the end of 2001, there will be 9.9 million broadband households in the United
8

 Ben Macklin, Sizing Up the US Broadband Audience, (July 10, 2001). Online at

http://www.emarketer.com/analysis/broadband/20010710_bband.html

4

States, up from 4.9 million at the end of 2000.8 Downloading large files, such as video files, can

be time-consuming on dial-up connections. But with the advent of broadband connections,

download times will decrease significantly, making it easier to access large files in a short time. 

III. PREVALENCE OF PORNOGRAPHY ON PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS

There is an astonishing number and range of pornographic files available on peer-to-peer

networks. Virtually every form of pornography that is available on the world wide web is

accessible through file-sharing programs, with two differences. The content on file-sharing

programs is free of charge. And it is not blocked by most parental filters.

A. Popularity and Availability of Pornography

The new file-sharing programs are used extensively to access pornography. A listing of

the most popular searches on file-sharing programs that use the Gnutella protocol is maintained

by Gnutellameter.com. On June 26, six of the top ten queries were searches for pornography. 

These queries included “porn” (the second most popular search), “sex” (the fourth most popular

search), and “xxx” (the fifth most popular search). Appendix 1 lists these searches in order of

their popularity.

To assess the availability of pornography on file-sharing programs, the Special

Investigations Division ran a search for “porn” on BearShare on July 20. This search produced

more than 25,000 results. The results included more than 10,000 video files. These video files

contained graphic displays of sexual activities, including intercourse, masturbation, and oral and

anal sex. Appendix 2 shows some of these results.

Some file-sharing programs limit the number of results that they will display. Music City

Morpheus, for example, will return only about 100 results per search. However, pornography is

widely available through these programs as well. A search of videos containing “porn” on Music

City Morpheus returned the maximum results almost immediately. Appendix 3 shows some of

these results.

B. Types of Pornography

The pornographic content available through file-sharing programs includes, but is not

limited to, hardcore “triple x” adult pornography. Child pornography, violent pornography and

bestiality are also prevalent. Like the adult pornography, these types of pornography are also

available without charge.

In fact, child pornography and violent pornography appear to be popular items on some
9Search terms like “teen”or “preteen” are used specifically to find pornographic materials

that contain youth. The vast majority of files returned when these terms are searched are

pornographic.

10These seven programs were chosen on the basis of having been reviewed in Consumer

Reports in March 2001. 

5

peer-to-peer networks. On June 26, the sixth most popular search on file-sharing programs using

the Gnutella protocol was “teen” and the eighth most popular was “preteen.”9 The sixteenth

most popular search was “rape.” The thirtieth most popular search was “incest.” See Appendix

1. 

IV. UNINTENDED EXPOSURE TO PORNOGRAPHY

Even users of file-sharing programs who do not seek pornography can be flooded with

pornographic files when searching for other content. For example, the Special Investigations

Division used the file-sharing program Aimster to conduct a search for “Britney Spears” videos

on July 24. This is the type of search that a teenage girl might conduct to access music videos of

one of her favorite artists. Aimster, which limits results, returned 100 files. Over 70% of these

results were videos with pornographic titles. Appendix 4 shows some of these results.

This problem is not unique to Aimster. The Special Investigations Division conducted

searches for “Britney Spears” on other popular file-sharing programs and obtained similar results. 

Moreover, searches for other popular musicians, such as Christina Aguilera and Madonna, also

produced significant numbers of pornographic files.

V. FAILURE OF PARENTAL CONTROLS

Many parents who are concerned about their child’s exposure to pornography online

install filtering software. However, many of the leading parental control programs are aimed at

preventing exposure to pornography on the world wide web, as opposed to file-sharing programs.

To assess the effectiveness of parental control software in blocking access to pornographic

content on file-sharing programs, the Special Investigations Division examined seven popular

versions of parental control software: Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, Internet Guard Dog, Cyber

Snoop, America Online Parental Controls, Cyber Sitter, and Norton Internet Security 2001

Family Edition.10 

For each of the seven programs, the Special Investigations Division downloaded the

software and attempted to block the use of file-sharing programs to obtain pornographic files. 

A. Default Settings

The parental control programs were first tested in their default setting. This is the
11In the case of Net Nanny, technical difficulties prevented the Special Investigations

Division from testing the software. Nika Herfer, the Vice-President of Public Affairs for Net

Nanny, confirmed, however, that the program would not block access to pornographic content

through file-sharing programs. Telephone conversations (July 23 and July 24, 2001).

12The default setting tested by the Special Investigations Division is the setting for

children age 13 or older. If the default setting for children younger than 13 is used, the child may

encounter difficulties accessing a web site from which to download a file-sharing program. 

However, once a file-sharing program is installed on the computer, the file-sharing program can

be used to access pornography even under the default setting for children younger than 13.

13Internet Guard Dog requires prior parental consent for all Internet applications. Before a

child could operate a file-sharing program on a computer with Internet Guard Dog installed, the

child must request his or her parent to authorize the use of the file-sharing program.

14Some of these programs offer parents the option of blocking access to applications that

are specifically identified by the parent. However, this feature is not an effective way to block

access to file-sharing programs given the number of file-sharing programs that are available for a

child to download. Some of these programs also offer parents the option of preventing children

from entering specifically identified words or phrases. This feature is also not an effective way

6

configuration that is most likely to be installed by parents. When used in their default setting,

five of the seven parental control programs fail to block access to pornographic content through

file-sharing programs. The five programs that do not block access are Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol,

Norton Internet Security 2001, Cyber Sitter, and Cyber Snoop. In telephone interviews,

representatives from the companies that distribute these programs confirmed their products do

not block access to file-sharing programs in their default settings.11

In the case of America Online Parental Controls, the software failed to block access in the

default setting when the connection to the Internet was made through a network and through a

residential DSL line.12 When accessed through a dial-up connection through America Online,

however, America Online Parental Controls did effectively block access to file-sharing programs. 

Only one parental control program, Internet Guard Dog, completely blocked access to

file-sharing programs under its default setting.13

B. Customized Settings

The Special Investigations Division next examined whether the parental control software

could be configured by parents to block access to pornography through file-sharing programs. 

Four of the parental control programs could not be configured by parents to effectively block

such access. These four programs were Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, America Online Parental

Controls (when connected through a network or a residential DSL line), and Cyber Snoop.14
to block access given the number of different words or phrases that can be used to search for

pornography on file-sharing programs. 

15Electronic mail (July 24, 2000). 

7

Two of the parental control programs, Cyber Sitter and Norton Internet Security 2001, do

have advanced options that parents can configure to prevent access to peer-to-peer networks

through file-sharing programs. Both of these programs have components that can function like

“firewalls,” allowing parents to block access to the computer “ports” that are used by file-sharing

programs.

C. Filters Within File-Sharing Programs

At least two file-sharing programs, BearShare and LimeWire, purport to offer filtering

options that screen out pornographic content. These options, however, are not effective parental

controls. Parents may not know that their children are using these programs and so may be

unaware of the parental control option. Even if parents are aware that their children are using

these programs, the parental control feature can be deactivated by simply “unchecking” a box,

with no parental password being required. And even if the parental control feature is activated, it

does not effectively block out all pornographic content.

In addition, these filtering options appear to apply only to a small number of file-sharing

programs. They do not prevent children from downloading other file-sharing programs or using

them to access pornography. 

VI. USE OF FILE-SHARING PROGRAMS BY CHILDREN

There are no data available on the number of individuals under 18 who are currently

using file-sharing alternatives to Napster. Although some data are available on the number of

persons who download and use these programs, these data do not identify the age of the

individuals.

Experts consulted by the Special Investigations Division, however, consistently expressed

the view that many of the users of these programs are likely to be under 18. Lee Black, the

Director of Research at Webnoize, stated: 

We don’t have hard data, but based on anecdotal evidence and what we know about

Napster, children, and new Internet technologies, it’s clear that many teenagers are using

the Napster alternatives. Kids will be the first to take advantage of the emerging filesharing programs. They've grown up with the Internet, don't have a lot of disposable

income, and like getting free music and videos online.15

Similarly, Alex Walsh, Vice President of Market Research for the Recording Industry
16Telephone interview (July 25, 2001).

17Sharlene K. Johnson, Survey Says, Family PC Magazine (February 2001).

8

Association of America, stated: “Many kids are likely to be using these file-sharing services.”16

One reason that experts expect that high percentages of children are likely to be using

file-sharing programs is that high numbers of children used Napster. A survey by the Pew

Internet & American Life Project in November and December 2000 found that 53% of children

ages 12 to 17 -- more than 7 million youth -- had downloaded music from the Internet. That was

the highest percentage of any age bracket surveyed. A February 2001 survey conducted by

Family PC magazine found that one out of three teens ages 12 to 17 had downloaded songs

through Napster.17 As Napster’s appeal diminishes, experts anticipate that teens will rapidly turn

to alternative file-sharing programs. 

VII. CONCLUSION

File-sharing programs that provide access to peer-to-peer networks are surging in

popularity. This trend poses a special problem to parents who do not want their children

accessing free pornographic content through these programs. Such content may appear in

response to simple searches such as “Britney Spears.” These risks are compounded because

many popular parental filters do not block access to pornography through file-sharing programs. 
9

Appendix 1: Top 30 Most Popular Queries 

on the Gnutella Network (June 26, 2001)

Rank Query

1 divx

2 porn

3 star trek voyager

4 sex

5 xxx

6 teen

7 saving private ryan

8 preteen

9 lolita

10 madonna

11 stays crunchy even

12 steely dan - citizen steely

13 rage against the

14 gina wild

15 slayers

16 rape

17 gay

18 jenna jameson

19 f--k

20 anal

21 matrix

22 metallica

23 sleepy hollow avi

24 britney spears

25 lesbian

26 girls gone wild

27 avi

28 porno

29 suicidal tendencies

30 incest

Source: www.Gnutellameter.com