nic.at, the global registry for all .at domains, is actively committed to improving internet safety. For almost 30 years, the company has run Stopline, the Austrian Report Centre against Child Sexual Abuse Material and National Socialism on the Internet. The latest annual report, for 2025, shows an alarming rise in reports. However, there is also a positive development: Last year, not a single reported instance of illegal content was hosted by an Austrian provider.

Stopline presented the latest figures together with ISPA (Internet Service Providers Austria) at a press conference on 11 May 2026. A total of 75,089 reports were received in 2025, representing the second-highest number since the platform’s inception. Of these, 38,264 were classified as illegal. This means that, for the first time, more than half of all reports actually contained illegal content.

There was a significant increase in illegal content, with the vast majority of reports involving depictions of the sexual abuse of minors. While around one-third of reports were accurate in 2023, this figure had risen to 47 per cent by 2024. In 2025, this figure reached a new negative record of 50.9 per cent.
'The fact that nearly every second report is valid has pushed our small team to its limits, both organisationally and emotionally,' explains Barbara Schloßbauer, project manager at Stopline.

Austria sets a positive example

On a more positive note, the development in the hosting sector is encouraging: in 2025, no illegal content was found on any Austrian provider's servers. This confirms the effectiveness of close cooperation between the reporting centre, providers and authorities once again.
“Deleting rather than blocking has proven effective. Close and productive cooperation between the reporting centre, internet service providers, and the authorities ensures that illegal content is removed quickly, making Austria an unattractive location for hosting such content,” emphasises ISPA Secretary General Stefan Ebenberger.

International cooperation remains crucial

As part of the international INHOPE network, Stopline collaborates with 57 partner hotlines in 53 countries to ensure the rapid removal of illegal content worldwide. This is also reflected in processing times: In countries with an INHOPE hotline, illegal content is removed on average within 1.4 days, whereas in countries without such a reporting centre, it takes approximately 41 days.

Education and networking are key contributions

In addition to its operational work, Stopline has placed a strong emphasis on public outreach, awareness-raising, and networking for many years. Through ongoing education on social media, dialogue with stakeholders, and participation in national and international committees, Stopline significantly contributes to raising awareness of illegal content on the internet.

Further information on the 2025 Annual Report can be found at www.stopline.at