What Would You Do to Protect Your Own Kids?

The above question, with its follow-ups below, is one that I ask because globally, we are surrounded by the "season" (wherever you are and whatever your religion is or is not) with messages about Peace and Love and the general well-being of all. (How's that going?)

Back to my question: What would you do to protect your own kids, or someone else's kids, any loved one, friend, human being, or whatever—you get the point. 

I will leave the details of the extent of your actions to you. We all know the stories of self-sacrifice and selfless actions of strangers who couldn't abide by the thought of harm being perpetrated on others never mind parents and siblings. 

Imagine saving children mired in the direst of poverty and menaced by bad people simply by weighing in on an issue with friends, colleagues, businesses, social platforms, and possibly with regulators in your own home countries.

Easy….No?

There would be no self-sacrifice or even selfless behavior required....Just raise your hands,...mobilize your thumbs,...and let your voice be heard. 

IMAGINE, as always, is triggered by something. This week is no exception: the confluence and the sad and tragic contrast (as if we needed more tragic) between the advertising I was seeing and the investigative report I read from the New York Times: 

“On These Apps, the Dark Promise of Mothers Sexually Abusing Children”

“Smartphone apps downloaded from Apple and Google can allow parents and other abusers to connect with pedophiles who pay to watch — and direct — criminal behavior.”

Criminal behavior? Deviant. Reprehensible...Evil. However, the question of criminal behavior or, at least, unethical behavior is an open one. I need you to weigh in as you ponder my IMAGINE question above…What would you do…or better yet, what will you do? 

The article has been shared on multiple platforms with "Trigger Warnings" (Give me a break. We should all be forced to read it)…I will leave it to you all to read the more graphic (BTW, it's the New York Times…..graphic is relative) details; nevertheless, I will share the issue: 

"Since last year, The Times has been investigating the world of parents who run accounts on Instagram and elsewhere for their underage daughters and who post or sell racy photos of the girls, in some cases earning large sums of money. The Times reported in February that many of the so-called mom-run social media accounts with the biggest reach were overwhelmingly followed by adult men, including pedophiles. 

The livestream apps downloaded from Apple and Google illustrate an even darker aspect of the social media technology boom, particularly for children living in poverty in developing countries. There, with the ease of a smartphone, parents and other adults can connect with pedophiles in the United States and elsewhere who pay to watch — and direct — criminal behavior.

Criminal behavior? I made the point….the article continues:

“After confirming the authenticity of the Bigo livestreamer with the authorities, The Times searched the Apple and Google app stores for other video chat apps. Reporters identified a sample of more than 80 apps that advertised children before stopping the search. They later contacted Homeland Security Investigations, the government’s main law enforcement group for international exploitation, for comment.

The agency made the undercover agent available to answer questions, so long as he was not identified.

The apps had not been a focus of the agency’s work, the agent said, but the criminal activity mirrored that on dating websites he had investigated. There, men search for women, typically in Southeast Asia, who charge to sexually abuse children on camera.

While mothers or other family members are the most common culprits, he said, other adults — including members of criminal organizations — sometimes arrange the abuse.

“The number one customer base paying for this abuse is in the United States,” the agent said. “It’s not like they are abused once a day. It’s 50 men getting 50 separate shows. They’ll wake up these kids in the middle of the night to be abused.”

The livestream apps follow different models. Some, like Bigo, are designed for a mainstream audience to watch dancers, gamers or other content creators. Viewers can reward streamers with in-app currency.

Others are geared toward men looking for sexual encounters, and users can pay by the minute for private video chats. Although Apple and Google ban pornography from their stores, The Times found apps that showed nude adults in sexual poses. Some apps had names like  '18+ Live & Video Chat,' 'Adult Live Chat' and 'Adult Calls, Love Chat.'" 

The response of the platforms?

“Streamers of all kinds collect money from their broadcasts, and the owners of the apps also take a cut, as do Apple and Google. The two big tech companies typically collect between 15 and 30 percent as a fee for in-app purchases.

In statements to The Times, neither Apple nor Google addressed the issue of in-app purchases for illegal streaming. Both companies said they had zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material and had removed or suspended the flagged apps. Both companies said they required app developers to police user-generated content on their platforms.”

I'm sure they have "zero tolerance," Apple and Google didn't remove the apps until the NYT called them out. As I've been writing for years...FOLLOW THE MONEY. It all leads to a business model…valuations that are outsized and profits that are astronomical.

The article concludes as follows, talking about Homeland Security in the U.S. that  seems to be trying to step up:

“During 13 years working undercover, the Homeland Security agent said, he had helped rescue 286 children. He said the woman in the Southeast Asia case had been identified and the agency was now working with local authorities to rescue the 8-year-old.

Next year, he will take part in online safety education sessions for teenagers and train more agents.

Still, he said, 'We've probably infiltrated .0001 percent of the actual abuse that's occurring.'"

Not even a percent of a percent is being addressed….Devastating. 

Dear reader, try it. I did. With one click, I found and reported a bunch of XXX sites, and worse, some seemingly mainstream ones that re-skinned in the search.

What can we do?

• Do the searches and report the sites
• If you do business with Meta or TikTok speak out!
• Demand consequences by your regulators
• Bring the issue to the attention of your legal authorities

Demand accountability. The answer can't be zero tolerance….

In a season of love, think about its opposite. As the late Elie Wiesel said: 

“THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE IS NOT HATE, IT'S INDIFFERENCE.”

And there it is. We can't be indifferent. We use these platforms, as do our children…grandchildren, and on and on….I IMAGINE none of us would set foot in a criminal enterprise, at the very least…certainly not in an evil one. 

AND YET….

What’s your view?