Online sexual exploitation and abuse of children is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world.

Whether it takes form as photographs, pre-recorded videos or livestreams — and no matter how the imagery is produced — these crimes, collectively referred to as OSEAC, share one common truth: Someone abused a child in the process.

From 2022-2023, reports of suspected child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) rose from 32 million to over 36 million, including over 105 million distinct images, videos and other files. More than 300 million children have experienced OSEAC, which research shows is severely underreported.

In the U.S., there are few if any requirements on tech companies to detect, report and remove CSAM. Without regulation to hold them accountable, these companies have made minimal progress in addressing OSEAC. While there is bipartisan support for legislation to address this growing crisis, pushback from tech lobbyists and privacy advocates who leverage inaccurate messaging and scare tactics have led to indefinite delays on meaningful action from Congress.

We can put an end to these insidious crimes against children. But first, we must raise awareness of their prevalence, educate children, youth, caregivers and trusted adults on online risks and protection best practices, get more and better data on the issue, and fight for stronger laws to protect children.

Our Approach

We use a rights-based, trauma-informed and survivor-centered approach, with a focus on safeguarding, in our online child protection programming and advocacy. We are guided by three intervention strategies:

1. Individual level: We develop targeted prevention and response programs that put children’s and youths' voices at the center.
2. Community level: We help communities strengthen the protection capacities of both formal and informal local child protection systems.
3. National level and beyond: We advocate for the enactment, implementation and enforcement of critical online safety policies at the global, national and local levels.

Learn More: Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (OSEAC) and Promoting Online Safety: Organization Guidance for Designing and Implementing Interventions (2023) 

Advocacy Spotlight: U.S. Campaign to #TakeItDown

In 2023, the #TakeItDown campaign was launched to hold tech companies accountable for allowing child sexual exploitation and abuse to proliferate online. Since then, we have seen significant momentum in the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that will lead to a safer internet for children everywhere.

We garnered bipartisan support during the Senate hearing on January 31, 2024, with Big Tech CEOs and elevated the voices and experiences of survivors and survivor parents, highlighting the critical urgency of this issue. The REPORT Act was signed into law, further strengthening our efforts to combat online abuse. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) successfully passed the Senate, marking a major step forward in protecting children online. Finally, the Take It Down Act, aimed at protecting and empowering victims of real and deepfake non-consensual image sharing, passed the Senate Commerce committee.

Most importantly, our movement has been driven by the powerful voices of survivors, whose stories and advocacy have been at the heart of our progress.