Tech Companies Must Do More to Stem the Tide of Online Child Sexual Abuse

Tech Companies Must Take Action to Combat Online Child Sexual Abuse

According to Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, tech companies need to do more to address the growing problem of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Grant emphasizes the urgency of the issue and highlights the need for action to protect children.

The Scale of the Problem

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 32 million reports of child sexual exploitation and abuse in 2022, including millions of images and videos from tech companies. However, these numbers only scratch the surface of the true extent of the problem. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, made around 27 million reports to NCMEC, while Apple reported just 234. This disparity raises concerns about the efforts being made by different companies to combat child sexual exploitation.

The Impact on Children

A recent study in Australia revealed that 28.5 percent of Australians had experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. The consequences of such abuse can be long-lasting and lead to various mental health issues and harmful behaviors. Survivors of child sexual abuse are more likely to experience further abuse, develop dependencies on drugs and alcohol, and have suicidal thoughts. Additionally, some survivors may become offenders themselves, perpetuating the cycle of abuse.

The Role of Tech Companies

Tech companies play a significant role in enabling the production, storage, and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Grant highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from these companies in addressing the issue. She issued legal transparency notices to several major tech companies, including Apple, Meta, WhatsApp, and Microsoft, to understand their efforts in combatting child sexual exploitation. The responses revealed significant inconsistencies and shortcomings in their approaches.

Addressing the Shortfalls

Grant’s investigation uncovered various areas where tech companies need to improve their efforts. For example:

• Some platforms, like YouTube and TikTok, use technology to detect child abuse in livestreams, while others, like Discord, do not.
• There are variations in the use of language analysis technology to detect child sexual exploitation and abuse activity across different platforms.
• Certain companies, such as Google and Discord, do not block links to known child sexual exploitation material.
• There are differences in the detection of grooming behaviors among different platforms.

Grant emphasizes the importance of transparency in holding tech companies accountable for their actions. She expresses disappointment in Google and Twitter/X for failing to comply with the transparency notices and announces that Twitter/X has been issued an infringement notice for non-compliance.

Moving Forward

Grant highlights the upcoming industry codes and standards that will set mandatory requirements for tech companies to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. She also emphasizes the need for companies to take immediate action to make their services safer for children, without waiting for regulatory intervention.

The Call for Action

Grant concludes by stating that the Australian public expects tech companies to do more and do better in protecting children online. The cost of inaction is too high, and continued efforts are necessary to combat online child sexual abuse effectively.

About Julie Inman Grant

Julie Inman Grant is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and leads the world’s first government regulatory agency dedicated to online safety. She has extensive experience in government relations and policy, having worked at Microsoft and Twitter. Grant plays a crucial global role in organizations focused on child protection.

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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article addresses issues related to online child sexual exploitation and abuse, which are interconnected with various Sustainable Development Goals. These goals include SDG 4, which focuses on ensuring quality education and promoting safe and inclusive learning environments. SDG 5 is relevant as it aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, including protecting them from violence and exploitation. SDG 8 is connected as it promotes decent work and economic growth, emphasizing the importance of combating child labor and exploitation. SDG 10 aims to reduce inequalities, including addressing the vulnerability of children to abuse and exploitation. SDG 16 focuses on promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions, which includes addressing crimes against children. Lastly, SDG 17 highlights the importance of partnerships for achieving the goals, emphasizing collaboration between governments, tech companies, and other stakeholders to address online child exploitation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets under the identified SDGs include promoting education on online safety and preventing child exploitation (Target 4.7), eliminating violence and exploitation against women and girls (Target 5.2), eradicating child labor and exploitation (Target 8.7), promoting social inclusion and reducing inequalities (Target 10.2), ending abuse and violence against children (Target 16.2), and enhancing global partnerships to address online child exploitation (Target 17.16).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include:

• Number of reports of child sexual exploitation and abuse
• Number of images and videos reported by tech companies
• Number of reports made by different tech companies
• Percentage of Australians who have experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18
• Number of reports of online child abuse material in Australia
• Response times to user reports of child abuse
• Compliance with legal transparency notices

These indicators can be used to measure the progress in addressing online child sexual exploitation and abuse, evaluating the effectiveness of measures taken by tech companies, and assessing the level of transparency and collaboration in combating these issues.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table