New Facebook Task Force Aims to Combat Sale of Self-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material on Instagram
Introduction
The Facebook parent company, Meta, has announced a new initiative to combat the sale of self-generated child sexual abuse material on Instagram, following a report from the Stanford Internet Observatory which found that large networks of accounts that seemed to be run by minors openly advertised this type of material for sale.
Instagram’s Role in Facilitating the Sale of Child Sexual Abuse Material
The report found that buyers and sellers of self-generated child sexual abuse material connected through Instagram’s direct messaging feature. Furthermore, Instagram’s recommendation algorithms made the advertisements of this illicit material more effective. According to the researchers, “Instagram serves as the key discovery mechanism for this specific community of buyers and sellers.”
Increasing Incidents of Intimate Image Abuse During the Pandemic
Experts have highlighted how the pandemic saw a sharp increase in intimate image abuse, or “revenge porn.” Consequently, tech companies, porn sites, and civil society have ramped up their moderation tools.
Meta’s Efforts Towards Combating Online Child Exploitation
In addition to announcing the task force, Meta said it had dismantled 27 abusive networks between 2020 and 2022 and disabled more than 490,000 accounts for violating its child safety policies in January. A Meta spokesperson, Andy Stone, emphasized the company’s stance, stating that “child exploitation is a horrific crime.” The report also found that while Instagram played a central role in facilitating the spread and sale of child sexualized imagery, other tech platforms also played a part. For instance, accounts promoting self-generated child sexual abuse material were also prevalent on Twitter, although the platform appeared to be taking them down more aggressively.
Advertising Links to Groups on Telegram and Discord
The report found that some of the Instagram accounts advertised links to groups on Telegram and Discord, some of which appeared to be managed by individual sellers.
Conclusion
Meta’s new initiative is a significant step towards combating the sale of self-generated child sexual abuse material and protecting children from exploitation online. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure safe online spaces for all users.