How the Internet is Drowning in Child Sex Abuse Content
The Problem
Children love social media — and so do sexual predators. Social media enables the two to interact, with awful consequences for millions of children who end up physically exploited and featured in Child Sexual Abuse Material.
In 2019 close to 70 million images of child abuse were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The vast majority of this material was circulated on social media, in particular Facebook platforms.
Child predators use social media to identify children for sexual grooming and exploitation.
The closed or private social media groups in which predators operate enable them to connect with like-minded peers and trade tips on how to secretly record and share CSAM.
Tech companies are legally required to report CSAM when they discover it, but not to proactively look for it.
As reports of CSAM continue to soar, multiple platforms, including Facebook, are aggressively pursuing plans to encrypt their platforms, which would reduce their liability for reporting CSAM.
The Specifics
Most U.S. laws refer to any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor as child pornography. But increasingly this imagery is defined as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to more accurately reflect what is depicted: the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
In some cases, children get abused by persons known to them, who then post images of the abuse Online. In other cases, children get groomed by Online predators.
Predators use chat rooms and news feeds to develop a relationship with their intended victim. Before long the victim is asked to supply intimate and compromising images.
Predators can gain access to children on social media because many parents are not aware of how dangerous Online environments can be, or don't know how to lock down their childrens’ profiles.
In some cases, predators or criminal groups groom children to send them sexually explicit images, and then threaten to post those images publicly unless the child supplies more. This process is known as "sextortion," and can happen to adults too.
Key Facts and Figures
A study by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children surveyed 40,000 school-age children and found that 25 percent indicated they have live-streamed with a stranger on a social medium platform.
A recent survey led by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection found that 67% of CSAM survivors said the distribution of their images impacts them as profoundly as the hands-on abuse because the images are permanent and the distribution never ends.
Two 2018 reports based on NCMEC and Interpol data found that girls feature in the overwhelming majority of CSAM. Prepubescent children are at the greatest risk to be depicted. When boys are victimized, they are much more likely than girls to be subjected to explicit and violent abuse.
CSAM Reports to NCMEC have soared 10,000%
Current Law
U.S. Federal law prohibits the production, distribution, importation, reception, or possession of any image of child sex abuse material. Specifically, Section 2251 makes it illegal to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Any individual who attempts or conspires to commit a CSAM offense is subject to prosecution under federal law. Internet firms can face fines and other penalties for knowingly hosting CSAM. Proposed legislation would make platforms responsible for finding, removing and reporting it.
Proposed Legal Reform
Legal reform should create incentives for the tech industry to develop more efficient tools to detect and remove CSAM, including a common standard for detecting CSAM in video. Congress should also open a path to justice for victims of CSAM through state and civil courts.
How to Stay Safe from Online Predators
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation recommends:
Discuss Internet safety and develop an Online safety plan with children before they engage in Online activity.
Establish clear guidelines, teach children to spot red flags, and encourage children to have open communication with you.
Supervise young children’s use of the Internet, including periodically checking their profiles, posts and contacts. Keep
electronic devices in open, common areas of the home and consider setting time limits for their use.Review games, apps, and social media sites before they are downloaded or used by children. Pay particular attention to
apps and sites that feature end-to-end encryption, direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, which
are frequently relied upon by Online child predators.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends the following safety tips to keep in mind while using social media:
Never share pictures of yourself Online that you wouldn’t want to be seen by your family, teachers, or a total stranger.
Set user profiles to private so only real friends have access. Know who you’re chatting with – a “friend” is not always a friend.
Treat people Online as you would in person: be polite!
Don’t share personal information Online such as your full name, school, address or phone number, or user passwords.
Don’t meet up in person with any stranger you met Online.
Report suspected abuse to a trusted adult.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says common tactics to entrap kids include:
"Grooming" the child by developing a rapport through compliments and "likes."
Engaging in sexual conversation/role playing as a grooming method, rather than a goal.
Asking the child for sexually explicit images, sending images themselves, or mutually sharing images.
Pretending to be younger, or posing as one of the child's schoolmates.
Offering an incentive such as a gift card, alcohol, drugs, lodging, transportation or food.
