WeSEE: New unique image detector to protect Internet users from inappropriate content

WeSEE's image-focused technology piFilter detects uploading, hosting and sharing of adult and inappropriate images

Social media, mobile, broadband and hosting companies can give their customers added protection from viewing unwanted adult content and inappropriate images by using piFilter, a new content detection system. Uniquely, the system can help detect adult and inappropriate images at the point they are being uploaded to the Internet from mobile phones as well as PCs.

The nature of the Internet makes it difficult for Internet companies to monitor what is both uploaded and viewed by Internet audiences. Social networking sites and other Internet companies currently moderate content by relying on text labels, relying on their users to report abuse or through manual intervention, making the process both time consuming and costly.

piFilter is an image recognition technology, meaning it is not reliant on text descriptions and tags to detect potentially inappropriate images. Using a unique pattern recognition system piFilter automatically detects adult content and potentially inappropriate content in real time, and can be used by networks to identify such content at the point of being uploaded onto the web. The system has been shown to work with technically low quality images that are grainy, out of focus or shot extremely close to the object, which can often be difficult for other image recognition systems to detect.

The technology enables Internet companies to reduce the time and cost spent with teams of moderators, who currently identify unwanted content to stop it being placed on their networks. Theoretically, piFilter can detect images of child abuse and inappropriate pictures of children.

WeSEE co-founder Angie Lopez said: "Illegal imagery is a big concern for society in the digital age. WeSEE estimates hundreds of millions of images exist online at any one time. Many children do not realise the risk of harm from the content they view and share online."

"In November 2010, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre highlighted its concern about children posting explicit "self taken" images online. Image content has also re-emerged as an issue for Parliament with calls from Claire Perry MP for Internet companies to block access to adult material by default, meaning that householders would have to opt-in to view adult websites. Using technology like WeSEE's new online image detector is a vital step in helping to protect vulnerable people. piFilter will help the Internet industry and users to self-regulate Internet use."

More information is available at www.pifilter.com

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Note to editors:

For a demonstration or for more information please contact wesee@pwkpr.com or call +44 020 7609 1900

About WeSEE:

WeSEE is an innovative UK owned web search, online advertising and content detection technology company based in London and Samara, Russia. WeSEE's unique technology achieves the most relevant search results through its unique pattern recognition system and artificial intelligence. WeSEE technology analyses web content automatically without having to rely on text descriptions and tags.

WeSEE was formed in London in 2010, after acquiring the Recogmission brand and its assets in September the same year. Senior management include CEO and founder Prof Alexander Yudashkin, who has 15 years of expertise in pattern recognition technology, and web professionals and co-founders Angie Lopez and Adrian Moxley, who were both formerly Senior Directors at Lycos Europe.

Headquartered in London, UK, WeSEE offers three main products - piFilter, WeSEE Search and WeSEE Ads - to publishers, Internet Service Providers, mobile networks and social networks.