February 18, 2005 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY
REVIEW) -- According to reports, hosters of criminal content are
leaving the US and moving to Russian-based Web hosting providers in
growing numbers.
Data from The Internet Watch Foundation (iwf.org.uk),
a UK-based organization dedicated to eradicating illegal content on the
Internet, shows that in 2003, the US hosted 55 percent of the world?s
illegal sites with that number dropping to 40 percent last year.
During the same period, the number of the world's illegal content sites
hosted by Russian providers rose from 23 to 31 percent. China, Japan,
South Korea and Thailand also experienced growth in illegal content Web
sites, the organization said.
The IWF, according to reports, says the
rise of illegal activity on the Internet in these countries is directly
linked to the ability of criminals to host their sites for free. Free
hosting is reportedly quite popular in Russia.
