Private sector should lead the fight against online predators
A girl uses a cellphone. In an era dominated by technology, the responsibility of protecting children goes beyond the government, parents and guardians.
What you need to know:
- In an era dominated by technology, the responsibility of protecting children goes beyond the government, parents and guardians.
- As guardians of the digital realm, the private sector must be held accountable for protecting children online.
In recent years, Africa has witnessed a rise in online child sexual exploitation. A case in point is Kenya, where the 2021 Disrupting Harm report revealed that 67 per cent of children aged 12 to 17 years use the internet.
Despite this surge, increased internet penetration has not been matched by measures to adequately protect children online, something worth reflecting on as we mark Safer Internet Day today.
Yet, findings from a 2023 Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) Safety for Children and their Rights Online (SCROL) study revealed that about 38.8 per cent of children reported that their parents do not understand the internet and social media applications.
This knowledge gap impedes parents and caregivers from effectively shielding their children from online sexual exploitation. In an era dominated by technology, the responsibility of protecting children goes beyond the government, parents and guardians. It requires technology service providers to take a leading and accountable role in promoting the safety of children using their platforms.
Tech companies, social media platforms, and online service providers provide virtual playgrounds for children, making it imperative for them to prioritize and invest in robust preventive measures to protect children from online risks ranging from intrusion to privacy, cyber-bullying, online grooming, sexting, sextortion, exposure to child sexual abuse materials, live streaming and child pornography. This is not meant to curtail their businesses but rather to make them child-friendly and responsive to their needs. In Kenya, the ChildFund’s Safe Community Linkages for Internet Child Safety (CLICS) project found that 42 per cent of social service providers have been engaged in activities to support survivors of online violence. Major social media companies have also employed several measures to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
Meta, for example, is now strengthening its taskforce of specialists dedicated to online safety to step up its fight against online predators who use Facebook and Instagram to exploit children.
This comes amid reports the platform has enabled paedophile accounts and pushed inappropriate content sexualising children. TikTok has recently introduced the use of AI algorithms to detect and remove inappropriate content, and encourages users to report suspicious activities.
While this is commendable, a lot of work needs to be done to deal with this massive threat. It is encouraging to see that child-focused organisations are at the forefront. Terre des Hommes Netherlands and ChildFund are engaging the private sector to change its approach towards children’s safety online. This includes working with internet service providers to establish settings that restrict access to sites that promote online sexual abuse, in addition to working with government institutions, schools, communities and families to help them effectively recognise and respond to online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
As guardians of the digital realm, the private sector must be held accountable for protecting children online. Digital actors must prioritise implementation of stringent measures which include age verification and content moderation, backed by an effective response system to address any violations.
Moreover, the private sector can promote the safe use of ICT by integrating child rights and safety considerations into appropriate corporate policies and management processes. As premised in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, all businesses and industries should have appropriate policies and processes to enable respect for human rights, be it offline or online.
Establishing effective mechanisms to enable the public to report abusive and exploitative content online is paramount. Industry players must collaborate with other actors to ensure adequate legal frameworks and implementation structures for the effective prosecution of online child sexual exploitation crimes and the protection of victims. Private companies should work closely with law enforcement agencies to report and combat these vices. This collaboration can involve sharing information, providing technical support, and ensuring swift responses to reported cases.
Mr Kariuki is the Africa Regional Director at Terre des Hommes Netherlands and Mr Ngugi is the Africa Regional Director at ChildFund International
