Newstrack English’s Post

🚨 The NSPCC is urgently flagging that Apple is vastly underreporting child sexual abuse material. As reported by The Guardian: "In a year, child predators used Apple’s iCloud, iMessage and Facetime to store and exchange CSAM in a higher number of cases in England and Wales alone than the company reported across all other countries combined, according to police data obtained by the NSPCC." Read that again. Apple's services enabled child sexual abuse at higher rates in England and Wales alone than the company reported worldwide. That's a terrifying discrepancy. As Heat Initiative CEO Sarah Gardner also warned: “Apple does not detect CSAM in the majority of its environments at scale, at all. They are clearly underreporting and have not invested in trust and safety teams to be able to handle this.” At the same time, Apple continues to reference their now year-old statement (which was really a leaked email to Heat Initiative) as to why they won't do more. And yet, other privacy-forward companies are navigating how to support the rights of all users, including child sexual abuse victims.

Let LinkedIn Know it Must Get Out of The Business of Sexual Exploitation https://lnkd.in/gb3vXR45 I am deeply concerned about the recent reports of sexual exploitation on LinkedIn, particularly with the platform's association with companies that profit from sexual abuse and exploitation like Aylo (Pornhub’s parent company), OnlyFans, and Seeking. It is distressing to learn that LinkedIn provides a platform for such enterprises, despite the significant evidence of harm they cause and host– such sex trafficking, child sex abuse, and image-based sexual abuse. As a professional networking site with a global reach, LinkedIn has a responsibility to prioritize the safety and well-being of its users, especially in the face of rampant sexual harassment and the promotion of deepfake pornography tools on the platform. I urge LinkedIn to take immediate and decisive action to address these critical issues. It is essential for LinkedIn to sever ties with companies that are involved in sexual exploitation, enhance automated detection tools to prevent the promotion of harmful content, and prioritize the safety of all users by implementing improved blocking and reporting mechanisms. By making these changes, LinkedIn can demonstrate a commitment to creating a safe and secure environment for professionals to connect and network without fear of exploitation or harassment. I hope that LinkedIn will take this matter seriously and work with organizations like the National Center on Sexual Exploitation to develop meaningful solutions. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I urge LinkedIn to proactively address these issues to safeguard the well-being of its community.

"Joseph Scaramucci, Director of Law Enforcement Training and Operations at a nonprofit at Skull Games, which helps investigate and break up sex trafficking rings, loves when people Venmo for illicit behavior. It’s obviously something that everyday people use day to day, but it does have an underbelly,” says Scaramucci. “Prior to CashApp, Venmo is where you found everything.” (CashApp, which allows for more anonymity, is the preferred online payment method when it comes to crime, Forbes reported in 2022. Block, which owns CashApp, told Forbes at the time that it does not tolerate crime on its platform and that the company proactively monitors transactions for suspicious activity.) This week I was interviewed by Forbes about the use of Venmo in criminal acts, particularly commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. It's use in not only human trafficking, but in drug trafficking, gambling, money laundering, and a litany of other crimes brings to light how every day apps, websites, etc. are not only uses to pay each other for lunch, but a ton more you may not expect! #humantrafficking #sextrafficking #moneylaundering #lawenforcement #AML #osint #osintforgood #intelligence #management #police #lawenforcementtraining #sextrafficking #endhumantrafficking #endsextrafficking

Concerning #ICYMI news out of New Mexico: The state is suing Snapchat, alleging the platform's failure to prevent child sexual exploitation. See the article here: https://lnkd.in/gTeh9hZy This lawsuit raises important questions about social media companies' responsibility to protect vulnerable users. It will be interesting to follow the legal developments and their implications for online safety. #ChildSafety #OnlineSafety #NewMexicoLaw

🍏 Apple accused of failing to effectively monitor its platforms or scan for images and videos of the sexual abuse of children, Child safety experts allege Apple 🍏 failed to effectively monitor its platforms or scan for images and videos of the sexual abuse of children which is raising concerns about how the company can handle growth in the volume of such material associated with artificial intelligence. The UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) accuses Apple of vastly undercounting how often child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appears in its products. In a year, child predators used Apple’s iCloud, iMessage and Facetime to store and exchange CSAM in a higher number of cases in England and Wales alone than the company reported across all other countries combined, according to police data obtained by the NSPCC. Apple was implicated in 337 recorded offenses of child abuse images between April 2022 and March 2023 in England and Wales. In 2023, ➡️Apple made just 267 reports of suspected CSAM on its platforms worldwide to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which is in stark contrast to its big tech peers, with ➡️Google reporting more than 1.47m and ➡️Meta reporting more than 30.6m, per NCMEC’s annual report. All US-based tech companies are obligated to report all cases of CSAM they detect on their platforms to NCMEC. “There is a concerning discrepancy between the number of UK child abuse image crimes taking place on Apple’s services and the almost negligible number of global reports of abuse content they make to authorities,” said Richard Collard, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC. “Apple is clearly behind many of their peers in tackling child sexual abuse when all tech firms should be investing in safety and preparing for the roll out of the Online Safety Act in the UK.” ⬇️See more here ⬇️

Instead of limiting our children's focus to potentially impractical aspects of education for their future survival, let's integrate financial education and literacy from a young age. This ensures they develop the skills to manage finances independently, reducing the likelihood of resorting to quick but detrimental income avenues as they grow older. Acknowledging that many parents may lack sufficient knowledge in our communities, can we earnestly consider making financial education and literacy compulsory in our education system from grade one through grade 12?

I've said it before, I'll say it again child sex offenders live and work amongst us, many are hiding in plain sight. A 56 year old Perth school principal has been charged with the possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material. This is not a victimless crime, every photo and video shows a real child being sexually abused. As someone who has had to watch the most heinous content I can not stress enough how depraved this content can be. Recent Australian research found, Australian men with sexual feelings towards children who have offended against children are: ☑️ More likely to be married, caucasian, heterosexual, living in suburbia, have strong social networks and relatively wealthy. ☑️ Almost 3 times more likely to work with children. ☑️ Significantly more likely to use encrypted apps and privacy services. ☑️ Over 16 times more likely to purchase sexual content online. Source: Identifying and understanding child sexual offending behaviour and attitudes among Australian men, 2023 Michael Salter

Learn out. On the UN Day for preventing child sexual exploitation, exclusive data shows the scale of parents’ concerns over explicit content and online predators – as activists say lawmakers are dragging their feet. https://buff.ly/3CB1ywq #tech #digital #data #privacy

AI-generated child sexual abuse videos are a growing threat. Utilizing tools such as advanced #WebFiltering can assist law enforcement in detecting and preventing the spread of such harmful material online. https://bit.ly/4ddS9rQ