More Than One-Third Of Internet Page Views Are Porn, Study Says

If you're filtering your employees' Web content, then you have some good reasons, according to a report published today.

According to a report from Optenet, which analyzes millions of URLs under its Web security service, the predominant content on the Internet is pornography, which makes up 37 percent of the total number of Web pages online. The report, which includes a representative sample of approximately 4 million extracted URLs, shows adult content on the Internet -- as well as illegal content, such as child pornography and illegal drug purchase -- grew 17 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. Websites related to online role-playing games (RPGs), such as World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and Grand Theft Auto 4, grew by more than 212 percent in the first three months of 2010, the report says. "Some of these games provide a wide number of communication channels that allow multiple forms of interaction among users, such as chat, forums, voice over IP, and exchange of user-generated content," noted Ana Luisa Rotta, director of child protection projects at Optenet. "It is possible for those intent on abusing these channels to employ them to carry out highly damaging and often illegal activities." Other forms of content found most commonly on the Internet relate to online shopping (up 9 percent in the first quarter), travel and tourism (up 5.7 percent), and leisure and entertainment (up 3.6 percent).

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