Over 2,000 child sexual abuse image crimes occurred in Wales last year, prompting calls for better online protections.
Home Office stats show crimes against children in Wales. There were 2,194 child sexual abuse image crimes last year. That means about six crimes happened each day.
South Wales Police dealt with 964 cases. North Wales had 535. Gwent recorded 503. Dyfed Powys saw 192.
NSPCC found out where these crimes took place. Half happened on Snapchat. Instagram saw 11 percent of the crimes. Seven percent were on Facebook. WhatsApp had six percent.
The NSPCC and other groups wrote to two officials. They contacted Yvette Cooper and Peter Kyle. They are worried about Ofcom’s new guide. The guide should protect kids, they believe.
But the letter says it fails to do this. It does not properly address private messaging safety. Ofcom asks companies to remove bad content. They only need act when it is easy to do. This creates a loophole.
The NSPCC wants the UK to pressure Ofcom. They want the codes improved and strengthened now. Messaging services must have strong protections. This includes services with encryption. Encryption should not hinder child safety.
Chris Sherwood leads the NSPCC. He says these crimes deeply hurt children. The government must be brave in fighting abuse. Tech companies must keep children safer. They must be held responsible.