Children love social media.
And so do sexual predators.
Tech platforms enable the two to interact, with awful consequences for thousands of children who end up exploited in Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Predators use social media to identify children for grooming and exploitation.
Tech companies are legally required to report CSAM if and when they discover it, but not to proactively look for and remove it.
Our members, the Canadian Center for Child Protection, provide support for survivors, prevention training for parents and tech tools that track CSAM.
The Internet is drowning in child sex abuse content
A quarter of children say they have live streamed with a stranger.
Reports of CSAM are up 15,000% since invention of smart phones, social media
Prepubescent children are at the greatest risk of being depicted in CSAM.
67% of CSAM survivors say the distribution of their images impacts them as profoundly as the hands-on abuse because the images are permanent and the distribution never ends.
Canadian Center for Child Protection
How to Best Protect Kids 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 your kids 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 games and apps that feature end-to-end encryption, direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, which are frequently relied upon by online child predators.
DOWNLoaD THE ACCO The Crime and Terror Threat on Social Media Fact Sheet
It’s free to download a pdf copy, but please consider making a $10 donation towards our research.
Learn More
ACCO Reports
Detecting Suicide and Self-Harm Discussions Among Opioid Substance Users on Instagram Using Machine Learning
Media Coverage
Fentanyl is fueling an unprecedented drug crisis…
Teen drug deaths doubled in the first year of COVID, then surged another 20% in 2021.
Synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl analogues, caused the vast majority of deaths.
Drug-related deaths grew fasted among Black, Native American, and Latino teens.
Drug-related deaths soared to 93,000 in 2020, and then climbed past 108,000 in 2022.
…Social media apps make it worse.
Social media platforms used by the majority of U.S. teens are flooded with drug dealers.
Kids think they are buying legitimate meds, which in fact are deadly counterfeits.
Parents are unaware of the risk, believing the overdose crisis is driven by addicts.
Outdated legislation provides immunity to tech firms for hosting this illegal activity, calling it protected free speech.
We believe lawmakers can define the difference between free speech and criminal conduct.
ACCO members at VOID have done outreach to more than 40,000 teens.
“Quote from Amy or Steve of Jaime.”
Our members produced this video to educate parents and kids alike.
NEED VIDEO
Download ACCO Drugs Fact Sheet
It’s free to download a pdf copy, but please consider making a $10 donation towards our research.
Get Help:
NECMEC cyber tipline (US)
FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center
CEOP Hotline (UK)
NSPCC Hotline (UK)
Europol Cybercrime Reports (Europe)
InHope (Multinational)
ACCCE (Australia)
ANF Help (Talks and presentations)
Stop the VOID (family group)
Facing Fentanyl (Education, OD Reversal Kits)
CDC (Fact Sheet)
DEA (Fact Sheet)
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