Potential to Powerhouse’s Post

In this week’s episode of Potential to Powerhouse, Social Media on Trial: Annie McAdams’ Battle Against Child Trafficking in the Digital Age Part 2, I had the pleasure of talking with fierce powerhouse trial lawyer Annie McAdams and the important work she is doing around social media, child exploitation, and sex trafficking. Listen in for informative updates on Annie’s ongoing battle including: How Annie and her team are tackling the misuse of social media platforms in facilitating the sex trafficking of minors and their efforts to overturn outdated protections like the Communications Decency Act. The latest legal reforms that aim to hold tech companies responsible for their platforms’ abuse. The importance of parental awareness and the false sense of security tech companies provide regarding child safety. During the Part 1 episode, Annie shared how she is at the forefront of a legal battle against the likes of Snapchat, Craigslist, Facebook, and Instagram, challenging their roles in facilitating child exploitation. In this eye-opening second episode, we continue uncovering the role of big tech companies in child sex trafficking. Listen for Part 1 here https://lnkd.in/gq8WFfmY Share this episode with friends, family, educators, and community leaders. Educating ourselves and others is vital for giving us the tools we need to be smarter about how our kids are navigating their way online. Get the latest episode ( part 2 )! https://lnkd.in/gxfeusTr #AnnieMcAdams #PotentialToPowerhouse #ChildExploitation #SexTrafficking #SocialMediaSafety #BigTechAccountability #LegalBattle #ParentalVigilance

"This is not a cookie-cutter problem, and there is no cookie-cutter solution." This is a sentence I heard over and over again from former Pimps/Gang members while researching for our upcoming training: The Mindset of a Human Trafficker. In the upcoming interview-style training, we are having honest and open conversations about The Game, Sex Trafficking, and "Life," as everyone put it. We are talking about -Childhood of Pimps, Root causes, -Generational trauma from a Trafficker's perspective, -Introduction to the Pimping Game, -Pop culture and the importance it plays in their formative years, -The Pimping game: rules, Pimping laws and Prevention. In this piece, I asked Armand King, Youth Advocate and Youth Prevention Program Developer, to explain to us how "Remote Pimping" works in a world where Digital Sex Trafficking is now as prevalent as Physical Sex Trafficking. We highly recommend this course for Law Enforcement, Service Providers, Youth Advocates, Youth workers, Parents, Educators, Teachers and more. Quiz and Certification of Completion will be available after you finish the course. Pre-Purchase and Pre-Register via our website: https://lnkd.in/gdSMri6A EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE before April 30th for $45.00 + tax. #education #humantrafficking #thetraffickersperspective #twosidetothestory #thepimpinggame

If you have children or know someone with children, you know the dangers lurking online. However, we also acknowledge that children must be taught to use technology positively and productively. Online platforms provide children with educational content, entertainment, ways to stay in touch with friends, and opportunities to exercise creativity. When children are online, they are easy targets and will face: ⚠️ Cyberbullying - online harassment causing severe emotional and mental distress. Cyberbullying may take the form of insults, threats, spreading rumors, impersonation, outings, exclusion, and doxxing. ⚠️ Inappropriate Content - includes both adult (pornographic, profanity, and gambling) and harmful content (encourages unlawful or dangerous behavior, hateful material encouraging discrimination, and disinformation). ⚠️ Online Predators - will use social media to gain access to children for sexual exploitation, manipulation & grooming. ⚠️ Privacy & Data Theft - children do not understand the importance of protecting their (or other people's) privacy, which can lead to data breaches, financial fraud, and putting their families at risk. ⚠️ Mental Health Concerns - extended screen time and the pressure to conform to online standards can lead to anxiety, depression, and low esteem because social media will distort reality and harm a child's self-image. Recently, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office arrested 23 men who used apps to connect with what they thought were young children for sexual exploitation. Parents (and schools) are encouraged to: 1️⃣ Teach children about online safety - privacy settings, what not to share, and how to recognize suspicious behavior. 2️⃣ Set up parental controls on devices and apps to limit access to harmful content and screen time. 3️⃣ Monitor social media account and communication app usage regularly. 4️⃣ Establish open communication with children so they feel comfortable discussing uncomfortable interactions online. To help out parents, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office provided a list of 21 apps to look out for on a child's phone. https://lnkd.in/d6R5rDjV Parents, educators, guardians, and the online community must work together to create a safer digital environment for all children. #OnlineSafety #SocialMediaRisks #ChildProtection #CyberAwareness #DigitalParenting #DataPrivacy #MentalHealth #CyberSecurity

⛔ The Shadow of Infidelity ⛔ Netflix’s new three-episode series "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal" delves into the fallout from the 2015 Ashley Madison data leak, exploring the profound impact and consequences on those involved. 📌What's your take on this? 🥊 What stands out to you the most? ▶ The lack of scruples ▶ The lies ▶ Their response to extortion ▶ Failure to protect customer data ▶ The fraud ▶ That it's still operating and claims to have 80 million subscribers today? For me, one of the most interesting part of the show it is how the partners dealt with the infidelity. 👉 What would you do? 🤔 🅰 Would you seek forgiveness and reconcialition? 🅱 Would you end the relationship? 🔺 The undeniable truth is that having affairs is about lying and hiding. Its most common consequences are the breakdown of trust, safety, and comfort within a relationship. So ▪ ▪ ▪ What are the alternatives? In my view, there are 2️⃣: ☑ Have an open and honest conversation with your partner about unmeet needs and work towards resolution. ☑ End the relationship before causing further harm, preserving respect and integrity for both parties. Though not easy, it’s a safer path forward.

📱 Social media sites set minimum age requirement due to data protection laws. We know that kids rarely adhere to this, but neither do parents. Sharenting has been a popular trend for a decade, not least amongst celebrities. David Beckham is a prime example, sharing wonderful images online of his baby, and now teenage Harper. The issue isn’t necessarily with parents themselves posting images of their children online, but the potentially harmful consequences of other people online. Half of the pictures shared by child sexual abusers were initially posted by parents on social media, according to reports by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That’s a terrifying statistic. In 2023, the French National Assembly went as far as to pass legislation banning parents from sharing children's photos on social media platforms. "The message to parents is that their job is to protect their children's privacy," Bruno Studer, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron's party who put the bill forward, said in an interview. If you grew up in the 1970’s and 80’s, you’ll no doubt remember the ‘Stranger Danger’ initiatives that aimed to protect children from the dangers on our streets. But what do we need today, when the dangers of the internet are now in our homes? #socialmedia #parenting #digitalparenting #childsafety #childsafetyonline

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

⚖️ My thoughts on yesterday's Full Committee Senate hearing about "Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis" Key Witnesses: - Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X Corp. (San Francisco, CA) - Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok Inc. (Singapore) - Evan Spiegel, Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. (Santa Monica, CA) - Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Meta (Menlo Park, CA) - Jason Citron, CEO of Discord Inc. (San Francisco, CA) Inbal Goldberger's insightful post about the hearing captures the complexity of the issue, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach. In the following I will try to highlight the main challenges from multiple perspectives: From the Tech Leaders ● the CEOs expressed commitment but acknowledged occasional mistakes, revealing the difficulty of addressing rapidly evolving threats. From the Senators and Public ● Valid concerns raised by senators about biased algorithms, excessive data collection, and the substantial harm caused by a small percentage of errors. ● Calls for accountability escalated to accusations of having "blood on their hands," underscoring the urgency of addressing online harm effectively. Community Responses ● The swift changes and challenges faced by Trust & Safety teams have to be highlighted. ● Acknowledgment that the topic demands nuanced discussions, not binary responses, appreciating valid concerns from both sides. ● Inbal Goldberger stated that despite safety initiatives, concerns arise about the integration of safety into product design and the platforms' responsiveness to feedback and research findings. My Concluding Thoughts: 💡The hearing showcased drama and accusations, but actionable solutions remain missing. 💡Striking a balance between effective legislation and practical implementation is crucial. 💡 While endorsements of acts like STOPCSAM are encouraging, defining terms like "reasonable measures" and fostering genuine dialogue between platforms, regulators, and users is necessary. ❗️ It's crucial to acknowledge that, up until now, every platform implements its own set of Trust and Safety regulations, leading to significant disparities across the industry. ❗️Ensuring the well-being of users, especially children, is a fundamental and critical aspect to define and prioritize. Let's move forward with a commitment to collaborative efforts, bridging gaps between technology, regulation, and user safety. The path to a safer online environment requires a collective commitment to understanding, adaptation, and responsible practices. The entire hearing: https://lnkd.in/eg5afHMS #TrustAndSafety #wellbeing #ChildProtection

Very timely story-telling for those helping guide adolescents on screen time, social media harms and online grooming. “Get curious, not furious” to stay close: not easy, but a useful mantra? https://lnkd.in/gJksCUT7

Did you know that one of the fastest growing crimes amongst youth ages 14-24 is sextortion? Good article here with some tips to help youth navigate the risks in an on-line, social media world! Check out this #TELUSWise article to help youth understand the impacts of sending intimate images and sextortion. #YouthVoice #TeamTELUS