The Oct. 2 news article “Got an idea for protecting kids online? Now, you can take action.” perpetuated the misguided idea that keeping children safe online is essentially up to parents. The article attempted to paint a picture of confusion and conflicting research around whether the internet is bad for kids’ health. However, little was mentioned about the role that tech companies play, or about how the dangers online are so much bigger than what parents can handle. Giving attention to this issue is important, but the fact is that technology companies allow child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) to proliferate on their platforms, and predators are shielded from being brought to justice under the guise of privacy protection.
More than 80,000 new reports of suspected CSAM are reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline every day. Parents have a role to play to support children’s digital safety, yet they do not have the tools to do so and are often unaware of the risks their children face. Online sexual exploitation and abuse of children are systemic issues, and changing the requirements and standards for how tech companies operate will have a much bigger impact than making parents shoulder this burden. Tech companies are not required to proactively search for, detect and remove CSAM by any set timeline, so the problem grows exponentially.
Context is everything when it comes to reporting on children’s online safety, and it is unfair to put the onus on parents, even inadvertently, to protect kids from the onslaught of new technology. Tech companies are fully responsible for this ever-growing problem. Government must hold them accountable.
The writer is vice president of external affairs and partnerships at ChildFund International.
