Police Scotland recorded over 3,000 child abuse image crimes in five years. The NSPCC seeks better online protection.
In 2023/24 there were 748 crimes, and in 2022/23, 765 crimes occurred. The NSPCC sent a request to UK police forces, asking about platforms used in these crimes.
Half the crimes happened on Snapchat, while a quarter occurred on Meta platforms. Additionally, 11% were on Instagram, 7% on Facebook, and 6% on WhatsApp. Charities, including the NSPCC, sent a letter to government officials.
These charities are worried about Ofcom’s code of practice. They feel kids won’t be safe on messaging apps, despite the Online Safety Act’s aim. Ofcom says illegal content needs removal when feasible.
This exception creates a loophole, letting some services avoid basic protection. Police data shows messaging site involvement in more crimes than other platforms. The NSPCC wants government pressure on Ofcom.
They desire stronger codes of practice to tackle online threats to children. The charity also wants safeguards on apps, including those with encryption. They don’t want safe havens for abusers.
Encryption secures communication, limiting participation to certain users. Service providers can’t see abuse material shared. Aoife, 21, from East Kilbride, speaks from experience and advises kids facing online harm.
Aoife was exploited at 15 on Yubo. A man, pretending to be a similar age, convinced her to use Telegram. He then asked for images of herself and threatened to share them with friends on Facebook to control her.
As his demands grew intense and scary, Aoife remembered CEOP and reported the shared images. The school and her parents learned, helping her report to the police. The perpetrator was sentenced in 2022.
Aoife advises against sharing explicit images online, as one cannot truly know online contacts. If threatened after sending images, she urges victims to tell someone, like a parent or teacher. “It is not your fault,” she says, “You are the victim. They took advantage of you.”
Childline data indicates more kids targeted and facing blackmail for sharing images, often on private messaging apps. Last year, Childline offered 903 related counseling sessions, up 7% from the prior year.
Chris Sherwood, the NSPCC chief, is alarmed by the thousands of child abuse image crimes, causing harm to children. He observes tech companies disregard stopping illegal content spreading. Separate rules exist for private messaging, letting tech bosses avoid child protection, thus crimes flourish on these platforms.
The government must take a stand and fight abuse on messaging services. They must hold tech firms accountable, even if it requires platform changes. There’s no excuse for inaction.