Exclusive:Online child sexual abuse: social media sites not doing enough to protect children from paedophiles, NCA warns

The National Crime Agency estimated that there are currently 550,000 - 800,000 paedophiles in the UK who pose a risk to children online.
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Major social media companies are not doing enough to reduce online child sexual abuse, the National Crime Agency has said, as it warned that there are more than half a million people in the UK who pose a sexual risk to children.

Speaking to NationalWorld, a spokesperson for the NCA revealed that the sexual exploitation of children in online spaces “is increasing in scale, severity and complexity” - with the industry “detecting and reporting an increasing number of illegal images” each year.

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This “staggering” volume of material, combined with the agency’s estimation that there are currently 550,000 - 850,000 paedophiles who pose a danger to children in the UK, means that “the threat to children is more severe than it has ever been.”

However, in spite of this, the NCA is “yet to see the big shift needed” from social media companies in order to reduce these online threats. An agency spokesperson told NationalWorld that while tackling child sexual abuse remains a “priority” for the NCA, it is “not solely a law enforcement issue”.

Instead, “greater commitment” and “greater action” is needed from the social media industry - and those across online spaces - to “create smart, technological solutions that will help reduce the threat [to children].”

Major social media companies are not doing enough to reduce online child sexual abuse, the National Crime Agency has said, as it warned that there are more than half a million people in the UK who pose a sexual risk to children. Credit: Kim Mogg / NationalWorldMajor social media companies are not doing enough to reduce online child sexual abuse, the National Crime Agency has said, as it warned that there are more than half a million people in the UK who pose a sexual risk to children. Credit: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld
Major social media companies are not doing enough to reduce online child sexual abuse, the National Crime Agency has said, as it warned that there are more than half a million people in the UK who pose a sexual risk to children. Credit: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld

It comes as the government’s Online Safety Bill, which hopes to keep children safer when using the Internet, continues to make its way through Parliament. The new legislation is looking to expand criminal liability when it comes to protecting children in online spaces, with social media bosses set to face up to two years in prison if they fail to shield children from harmful content.

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This includes protecting children from things such as pornographic sites, material relating to self-harm and suicide, or content which promotes eating disorders.

Currently, co-ordinated action by the NCA and UK police forces leads to over 800 arrests and nearly 1,200 children being safeguarded from online abuse each month, the agency told NationalWorld. But, there are still more predators out there - something the NCA said could be helped by a harsher crackdown from social media companies.

The NCA said: “Technology and the internet continues to be used by those who have a sexual interest in children to perpetrate child sexual abuse. The sheer volume of child sexual abuse material available online creates a permissive environment for offenders to develop their sexual interest in children.

“This environment has an extremely low bar of entry and allows offenders to meet other like-minded individuals who normalise their behaviour, often leading to an escalation of offending to contact abuse.”

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The spokesperson explained that children can be tricked, bullied, or coerced into sharing sexual images or videos, or performing sexual acts, by an offender who has groomed them on online platforms. They also warned that some further threats are posed by virtual reality spaces in the Metaverse, as while the risks are largely the same, the safety measures here are “less secure”.

The BBC previously reported that some apps on the Metaverse allow children into virtual strip clubs, for example.

The National Crime Agency warned that children can be tricked, bullied, or coerced into sharing a sexual image or video, or performing sexual acts on themselves or others, by an offender who has groomed them. Credit: Getty ImagesThe National Crime Agency warned that children can be tricked, bullied, or coerced into sharing a sexual image or video, or performing sexual acts on themselves or others, by an offender who has groomed them. Credit: Getty Images
The National Crime Agency warned that children can be tricked, bullied, or coerced into sharing a sexual image or video, or performing sexual acts on themselves or others, by an offender who has groomed them. Credit: Getty Images

Meanwhile, the NCA added that while some social media companies, who the agency described as being “on the frontline” of tackling child abuse, are helping confront the threats by “flagging” harmful content - many are pushing forward with plans to implement “privacy enhancing measures such as end-to-end encryption”, which do not yet have adequate safety measures.

“This is despite expert evidence that shows this is possible and that privacy and child safety can co-exist,” the agency said.

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“The NCA works closely with partners across law enforcement and wider government, as well as gaining insights from the private sector, to ensure we have the specialist capabilities to continue to detect and investigate child abuse offences that are identified online.

“Child sexual abuse remains a high-priority threat for the NCA, and alongside policing we will keep doing everything we can to tackle it. But this is not solely a law enforcement issue,” the spokesperson concluded.

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