Facebook, Twitter, and Google “There’s no room on the web anymore for predators of children.”
Our children’s lives are in your hands. Protect children over profits.
The Web’s Big 3 can take a stand against images of child sexual abuse to stop pedophiles and pornographers from selling child pornography. More needs to be done. These mega powerful world controlling social media giants are just the ones to get it done.
With sexual predators, images of child abuse, and child pornography, the Internet is a risky place for kids. Pedophiles have been using the web for years to find victims, target victims, and “virtually” perpetrate sex crimes against children on the net without risk or accountability. Much like what children experience at home. Remember, child sexual abuse takes place in the dark, in secret, without witnesses, without consequences. What is better or more private, than one’s computer, screen back light in the dark, rain coat ready but now unnecessary, to pounce and prey on their next baby victim.
Glad the “Giants” finally stepped up to protect our children.
The big three Internet giants are implementing software in attempts to make the Internet a safer place. Facebook, Twitter, and Google, are the big trio testing out this new software. These companies “are all in agreement: there’s no room on the web for images of child abuse.” And we are glad they are taking a stand.
From the survivor’s community we salute them. This technology is very advanced in that it not only removes the offensive images; it has the capabilities to report those responsible for uploading the image in the first place. This industry wide effort to protect our children is backed by Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children. More non-profits and charities as well as big organizations need to jump on this program in order to make our society safer. This technology in conjunction with Thorn’s efforts “would see the creation of a single database of the ‘worst of the worst’ images” which Thorn would maintain. Their main goal is to stop the pedophiles that use the Internet as their playground and post sickening images of child abuse. Our children should be safe from this danger; instead it is a very true reality for all to many victims out there. No one should be subject to such abuse. No one should be targeted by these predators.
This specific technology to eradicate child abuse images on the web has been used by Google since 2008. Using a “hashing” or a digital signature-based technology, child sexual abuse images can be tagged immediately. Facebook has also been using a similar tool with their PhotoDNA programs. Thorn will keep track of these signatures in one central database, and deal with them appropriately. This system in conjunction with industry-wide efforts will “incorporate encrypted “fingerprints” of child sexual abuse images into a cross-industry database, enabling companies, law enforcement and charities to better collaborate on detecting and removing these images, and to take action against the criminals.”
Steps like those taken by these Internet giants are more important than ever. “The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC’s) Cybertipline Child Victim Identification Program reviewed 17.3 million images and videos of suspected child sexual abuse” in 2011 alone. These numbers were four times greater than those in 2007. The reality is, these are real children behind the images. These children are suffering, being victimized, and we need to defend them. We need to put an end to the abuse.
We applaud Facebook, Twitter, Google and any other web providers who institute similar “hashing” or “fingerprinting of child sexual abuse images” to stop the sexual predation of children and teens, at the click of a child predator’s mouse. Thank you. On behalf of survivors worldwide and future victims. Their lives are in your hands.
Use your voice. It’s your choice.