Google today have released information regarding a program they have created for NCMEC (National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children) that uses pattern recognition software to determine whether a file contains content relating to child abuse.

The software was originally created to remove/block copyrighted videos on Google’s recently acquired YouTube.

Google plans on teaming up with the TCACP (Technology Coalition Against Child Pornography) and develop solutions that make it increasingly difficult for people to exploit children over the internet.

Since the beginning of 2002 the NCMEC has searched through over 13 million child abuse files in an attempt to help the police locate and identify children in need of help.

With more and more people connecting to the internet each day, criminals are using the very latest in technology to commit crimes of child abuse. And it’s in fighting those criminals that we must do the same in order to prevail, says NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen.

The project first started out on what the company calls (“20% time”) this enables Google employees to spend a certain amount of time in projects they initiate. Sometimes these projects help benefit the shareholders or even the employees themselves, however in this instance it’s nice to see that this project will help benefit thousands of children across the globe.