Child Exploitation Lawsuit
Social Media
Social media child exploitation refers to the use of social media platforms to exploit, groom, or abuse children. This can include sharing or distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sexual grooming of children, or using social media to lure children into physical sexual assault. It is a serious problem and one that Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz seeks to hold social media companies liable.
Where Does Child Exploitation Through Social Media Occur?
Child exploitation can occur on various social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, and more. This type of exploitation is not limited to any specific platform and can happen anywhere there is access to the internet. Children are not safe on these platforms, and the abuse has been widely ignored by the platform designers.
In 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 4,877 requests from law enforcement containing more than 35 million images and videos of CSAM. These images are circulated by child predators across social media platforms with no accountability. It’s time to hold these tech giants accountable for harming children.
Who’s at Risk of Exploitation?
Children of all ages and backgrounds can be at risk of exploitation through social media platforms. However, some children may be more vulnerable than others. For example, children experiencing difficult home lives, those who are going through a tough time emotionally, or those who have previously been victims of abuse may be more vulnerable to exploitation. Additionally, children who have a large online presence or share a lot of personal information online may also be at risk.
It’s important to note that predators or exploiters are not limited to a specific group and can come from any background or profession. They often use tactics such as grooming, manipulation, and deception to gain the trust of their victims.
- Girls appear in the overwhelming majority of CSAM.
- Prepubescent children are at the greatest risk to be depicted in CSAM.
- When boys are victimized, they are much more likely than girls to be subjected to very explicit or egregious abuse.
- On average boys depicted in CSAM are younger than girls and more likely to have not yet reached puberty.
- 78% of reports regarding online enticement4 involved girls and 15% involved boys (in 8% of reports, the gender of the child could not be determined).
*NCMEC
What is CSAM?
According to the NCMEC, “United States federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (a person less than 18 years old). Outside of the legal system, NCMEC chooses to refer to these images as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to most accurately reflect what is depicted – the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when these files are shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their sexual abuse is viewed.”
Survivors of Child Exploitation
The exploitation of minors on social media platforms has gone on for far too long. Speaking up and reporting this abuse is crucial to hold these companies accountable, and our attorneys are here to give you a voice. If you’re a survivor of child exploitation on social media platforms, reach out to us. We want to help bring justice for your abuse.
AWKO & the Fight for Children
Children are at risk of being exploited by predators on these platforms, and our attorneys are here to help. If you want to learn how we use the civil justice system to hold companies accountable for their negligence, please contact us for a free and confidential consultation at (850) 202-1010.