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Instagram's algorithms make it easier to sell child pornography

2023-06-08T02:22:00.980Z

Highlights: Researchers believe that Meta's platform is the main one used by child criminal networks to sell content showing sexual abuse of minors. A simple search with keywords such as #pedowhore ("pedo whore") or #preteensex ("pre-teen sex") leads to accounts. Stanford researchers have also spotted offers for videos with bestiality and self-harm. At a certain price, children are available for "Face-to-face dating," according to the article in the Wall Street Journal.


Researchers believe that Meta's platform is the main one used by child criminal networks to sell content showing sexual abuse of minors.


Instagram, a subsidiary of Meta, is the main platform used by child criminal networks to promote and sell content showing sexual abuse of minors, according to a report by Stanford University and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

"Large networks of accounts, which give the appearance of being operated by minors, openly promote the sale of content" child pornography, said Wednesday researchers from the Cyber Policy Center of the prestigious University of Silicon Valley. "Instagram is currently the largest platform for these networks thanks to features such as content recommendation algorithms and messaging that helps sellers connect with buyers," they added.

And neither pedophiles nor these networks need to be very ingenuous. According to the WSJ, a simple search with keywords such as #pedowhore ("pedo whore") or #preteensex ("pre-teen sex") leads to accounts that use these terms to advertise content showing sexual abuse of minors. Often, these profiles "claim to be driven by the children themselves and use overtly sexual pseudonyms with words like 'little slut for you'," the article details.

Videos with bestiality and self-harm

The accounts don't directly say they're selling these images, but they do have menus with options, including asking for specific sex acts, in some cases. Stanford researchers have also spotted offers for videos with bestiality and self-harm. "At a certain price, children are available for "Face-to-face dating," the article continues. The report highlights the role played by the algorithms of the popular social network: a test account created by the business daily was "flooded with content that sexualizes children" after clicking on a few such recommendations.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request from AFP. According to the WSJ, the social media giant acknowledged there were problems within its security services and said it had created a "task force" to address the issue. Last March, pension and investment funds filed a complaint against Meta for "turning a blind eye" to human trafficking and child crime on its platforms. Instagram is also regularly accused by associations and authorities of not sufficiently protecting children from the risks of bullying, addiction and self-image problems.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2023-06-08

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