National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children reveals devastating toll of abuse ignored by tech giants
William Pearce/The Nightly
Kristin Shorten | The Nightly
Big tech companies are criticised for not doing enough to address the surge in online child sexual exploitation, with 32 million reports of such content on major platforms indicating a broader issue beyond the reported cases.
Australia's e-Safety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, emphasises the worsening situation, with social media platforms playing a significant role in facilitating the spread of illegal material, while legislative efforts in Australia and the US aim to compel these companies to take more substantial action against the distribution of harmful content. Despite the implementation of new industry codes in Australia requiring digital services to combat extreme online content, some of the world's largest tech companies have been found non-compliant, highlighting the ongoing challenge of enforcing measures against online child sexual exploitation. The e-Safety Commissioner stresses the need for tech companies to intensify their efforts to tackle this issue, as the high cost of inaction impacts society's most vulnerable - innocent children.