D. E. Shaw India Private Limited’s Post

On January 31, 2024, CEOs from big tech companies META, X, Snap, Tiktok, and Discord will testify to Congress about child sexual exploitation in their respective platforms. One of the most important resources that these online tech platforms utilize to report instances of CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) on their platforms is the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline. The CyberTipline is the nation's centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. It is a crucial resource in the response and prevention of the distribution of CSAM online. The CyberTipline received over 32 million reports of CSAM to their CyberTipline in 2022— an almost twofold increase over the 19 million reports made in 2019. However, according to the Department of Justice, “There are no industry best practices relating to the consistency, timeliness, or completeness of the information ESPs [Electronic Service Providers] provide when reporting apparent CSAM to the CyberTipline. ESPs differ as to whether they include IP addresses, information relating to whether reported content has been viewed or categorized by the ESP, and if the CSAM content was distributed beyond the reported user. Sometimes ESPs report an old incident that it only recently detected, or provide reports with minimal information that prevent any action by law enforcement. Other times, ESPs no longer have, or in violation of its statutory requirement, never preserved, data relevant to the offense, such as the IP address which is needed to trace the location where the crime is occurring.” The EARN IT Act, the REPORT ACT, and the STOP CSAM ACT would require that reports of suspected child sexual exploitation submitted to NCMEC’s CyberTipline include information that would help law enforcement identify and locate the children being exploited, as well as the perpetrators of the illegal content. PACT stands with the End OSEAC Coalition in supporting these bipartisan bills. #WeArePACT #EARNITACT #REPORTACT #STOPCSAMACT

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Thoughts on this? >> Millions of OnlyFans paywalls make it hard to detect child sex abuse, cops say >> Comment below! >>> lqventures.com #digitalhealth #socialmedia #digitalmarketing #mhealth #industry40 #healthtech #IoT #AI

The expansion of the World Wide Web and mobile technologies has facilitated easy access to pornographic material, leading to the rapid growth of the digital sexual market globally. Unfortunately, along with this growth, there has been a disturbing rise in material sexually exploiting children, despite significant efforts by governments and corporations to restrain it. The anonymity and encrypted nature of the Dark Web have provided a perfect sanctuary for child abusers, enabling them to connect, share fetishes, and engage in despicable acts of abuse. The Dark Web harbors numerous sites dedicated to child exploitation, where pedophiles gather to share, sell, and discuss their heinous desires. These sites, with names like Lolita City and Hard Candy, facilitate the exchange of detailed methods for finding, procuring, and engaging in violent sexual acts with minors. Despite global efforts to combat child exploitation, reports indicate an alarming increase in the use of the Dark Web for sexual offenses against children, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To read more; https://lnkd.in/dtTq_raG

Check out this new article with my co-authors Kyle Morgan and Alice Militaru that looks at surveillance capitalism and private actors’ responsiveness to Dobbs through the lens of period tracking apps!

Over the past four days at the #CESESummit, we have heard many anti-exploitation experts, survivors, and leaders in the tech industry discuss the ways tech has become a facilitator and profiteer of sexual exploitation. For too long, the tech industry has escaped any accountability for the harms caused by their products—it’s time to change that! Today our #CESESummit attendees took to Capitol Hill to encourage Congress to pass legislation that would hold Big Tech accountable and require them to prioritize safety. Our attendees went to drop-in meetings and educated on six priority bills.  ❗ KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act): KOSA establishes a duty of care for online platforms to mitigate harms to children, and requires companies to provide safeguards and safety tools to minors and parents. Additionally, KOSA establishes transparency for data collection practices. ❗ EARN IT ACT (Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act): The EARN IT Act gives survivors of CSAM (child sexual abuse material) a path to justice while holding platforms who knowingly or recklessly host CSAM accountable. EARN IT also requires platforms to report instances of online enticement and child sex trafficking.  ❗ TAKE IT DOWN Act (Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites & Networks): The TAKE IT DOWN Act criminalizes the publication and threat of publication of IBSA (image-based sexual abuse). It also requires companies to take down IBSA within 48 hours of notice from a survivor and make a reasonable effort to remove IBSA and copies of IBSA.  ❗ DEFIANCE Act (Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act):  The DEFIANCE Act allows victims of AI-generated IBSA to obtain civil justice against the uploaders of the material, all while preserving the privacy of the victims.  ❗ SHIELD Act (Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act): The SHIELD Act makes the nonconsensual distribution or threat of distribution of sexually explicit images a criminal offense. It also criminalizes the distribution of visual depictions of a nude minor with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass or degrade the minor.  ❗ TRSA (Trafficking Survivors Relief Act): TRSA allows survivors of human trafficking to have their criminal records related to being trafficked vacated, and removes all legal fees related to this process. 

Great to see so many legislative recommendations being recommended to Congress that target multiple facets of the illicit CSAM trade, including the distribution, production, and receipt of CSAM. Victim-centered approaches have also been proven to bring about definitive reform for both victims and offenders, and at the same address institutions and platforms for perpetuating injustice.

The combination of new technologies with ‘persistent misogyny and rape culture’ is a dangerous mix. If we want to prevent gender-based violence and aspire to safer and more equitable online environments, we need to address both the lack of guardrails that enable developments like ‘nudifying’ apps and change the underpinning attitudes and cultures that make engaging in this kind of abuse seem appealing and legitimate.

As we embrace the digital age, it's crucial to acknowledge the darker sides of the internet—particularly the exploitation of children on online platforms. Recently, my work has brought me face-to-face with the disturbing reality of how these platforms can be manipulated to extort and harm our most vulnerable. Children and young people are increasingly targeted by bad actors who use sophisticated tactics to manipulate, extort, and exploit them. Many of us have seen significant news coverage in recent months around the use of online chat platforms for sextortion of minors. However, little has been discussed around the emerging use of the same extortion techniques to coerce children to self-harm (and do worse) on camera. This is an unacceptable abuse of technology. By bringing hidden threats like this to light, I hope that we can generate a momentum of creating a safer digital environment for everyone. The internet should be a place of opportunity and growth, not fear. Let's continue to push for change and protect those who need it most! https://lnkd.in/ea2NmTMG #TechPolicy #InternetSafety #KidsOnlineSafety #ChildSafety #TrustAndSafety