International Social Justice Commission - Stop Child Sexual abuse in Social Media

Date of Meeting: Stop Child Sexual abuse in Social Media

Meeting Organizer: Committee on Anti Trafficking

ISJC Staff Present: Major Victoria Edmonds

Reporter: Major Victoria Edmonds

Which SDG does this topic cover? 5,16

Type of meeting: Major Victoria Edmonds

Brief summary of presentation of information made

This was a side event during the High-Level Political Form. I would suggest looking at the video of the side event. The Committee on Anti-Trafficking was the key sponsor of this event.

Panellists

Moderator - Sr. Winifred Doherty, RGS

Panellist - Prada Foundation (Grassroots -Philippines) - Fr. Shay Cullen, SC

Panellist – International Justice Mission EndOSEC - John Tanagho - EndOSEC Study

Panellist - Ms. Cathy Rowan- Investment Advocate for Maryknoll Sisters

Responder - Ms. Jaqueline Beauchere - Microsoft Digital Safety Advocate

Responder – Ambassador Kira Christianne Azucena - Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations

Presentation of Policy Recommendations - Sr. Marvie L. Misolas, MM

STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN SOCIAL MEDIA

With great advances in technology, our world is becoming virtually connected in an ever-increasing speed and in real-time. Technological revolution has become one of the most powerful drivers of sustainable development. We have experienced during this pandemic period how technology made almost everything possibly come about. Powerful high-speed internet connections, smaller and smarter handheld devices such as phones and cameras and the use of ‘real-time’ platforms have revolutionized our communication. However, there is a darker side of these technologies which have fallen in the hands of people who use technology to exploit children over the internet.

According to International Justice Mission (IJM) report, there is an increase of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children during the COVID-19 lockdown based in Philippines anti-trafficking law enforcement operations between March and May 2020. The report stated that, “OEC is a crime of opportunity. With increased access to children who are locked down in their homes, and with sex offenders offering easy money, criminals sexually abusing children continue to do it. COVID-19 lockdowns created a perfect storm for the increase in online sexual abuse of children. Quarantined online child sex offenders are spending more time online and vulnerable children are also confined at home, often with their traffickers.” (IJM Summary Papers). Many of the children experiencing online sexual abuse live in extreme poverty, unemployed adult guardians resorting to collaborate to cybercrime to put food on the table. SDG Goal 1 calls for an end to extreme poverty.

Globally, various social media platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Tic-Tok and WhatsApp are being used by the world's youth. It is reported that Facebook tops the list of reported cases of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) but the company is not doing enough to stop the problem. According to data, in 2019, more than 16.9 million reports of CASM online and about 94 percent came from the Facebook platform. (Proxy Impact)

In this webinar, it joined with advocates from Maryknoll Sisters, International Justice Mission (EndOSEC) , Prada Foundation, Religious of the Good Shepherd, other Faith-Based Organizations and Member States Representatives, and IT sector to discuss the issue and share on the emerging best practices from a whole-of-society approach to end online sexual exploitation. SDG Goal 16 calls for strong institutions. “The rule of law and development have a significant interrelation and are mutually reinforcing, making it essential for sustainable development at the national and international level. SDG16 focuses on the violence against children resulting from the use of information technology platforms: 1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a child and 800 million of them use social media. Any child can become a victim of online violence. Likewise, child online sexual abuse reports to NCMEC has grown from 1 million in 2014 to 45 million in 2018.” (UN)

Finally, this forum shared policy recommendations to the Member States present and other stakeholders to stop CSAM in social media and other digital technology communication platforms and to protect children from online exploitation.