EARN IT Act Has Teeth: Only Option in Congress for Online Child Protection
There is a lot of misinformation being spread by the technology industry regarding the EARN IT Act (S. 3398 / H.R. 8454). In the face of rising levels of child sexual abuse material being distributed and consumed online, the EARN IT Act is legislation that seeks to allow U.S. citizens to hold technology companies accountable…
Help Us Pass the EARN IT Act in the U.S. Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the EARN IT Act Thursday, July 2, in a full committee markup of the bill. Introduced by a bipartisan group of Senators in March 2020, the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act (EARN IT Act, S. 3398) is designed to increase Big Tech accountability for two…
You Can Make a Difference During Child Abuse Prevention Month
Have you heard the devastating fact that 1 in 10 children will experience child sexual abuse by the time they reach 18 years of age? In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation holds hope that parents and legislators alike will come together to protect children online. We have the…
The State of the Fight to End Sexual Exploitation in 2019-2020
The fight to end sexual exploitation is massive and multifaceted, and 2019 was a year filled with victories and building momentum that bodes well for the movement in 2020 and beyond. These powerful moments and momentum from 2019 would not have been possible without passionate advocates and allies being willing to join together to take…
Joint International Campaign Launched to #WakeUpInstagram to Sexual Exploitation on its Platform
Today three anti-sexual exploitation organizations from three different countries—the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (United States), Collective Shout (Australia), and Defend Dignity (Canada)—launched a #WakeUpInstagram campaign to call out rampant sex trafficking, child sexual abuse grooming, as well as adult fetishization of young girls on Instagram. “Earlier this year, YouTube came under public scrutiny for…
Op-ed: Heinz’s “Food Porn” Ads Fund Sex Trafficking and Child Abuse Porn
Originally published on Townhall.com The global companies, Kraft Heinz and Unilever, recently came under fire for advertising on Pornhub – a large, sexually exploitive, pornography site that normalized themes of racism, incest, and violence against women. Unilever ran an advertisement for its brand, the Dollar Shave Club. The ad read: “If you use our bathroom…
Child Sexual Abuse Images Are Flooding the Internet and (Almost) No One is Fighting Back
Child sexual abuse images, often referred to colloquially as “child pornography,” are illegal. The distribution of adult obscene pornography—including online—is illegal. The exploitation of child sexual abuse images and the porn industry are demonstrably and inextricably intertwined. Yet, even as NGOs and law enforcement continually report how badly the fight is being lost in the…
The Research-backed Links Between Pornography and Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is an atrocity that goes against the very nature of human dignity. While this appears to be widely known and agreed upon, something that many around the world don’t know is the role pornography plays in fueling child sexual abuse. Yet, when taking into account the common themes of mainstream pornography, which…
Jeffrey Epstein’s Death is an Injustice to Survivors that Cannot Be Ignored
Jeffrey Epstein is dead. We long for the justice that will roll down like waters for survivors of the crimes—the atrocities—committed by Jeffrey Epstein. Until then, though, the delay of justice that is Jeffrey Epstein’s death by apparent suicide is yet another bitter injustice for survivors. In life—and, tragically, again now in death—Jeffrey Epstein carved…
How Instagram Can Stop Sexual Grooming, Abuse, and Trafficking On Its App
On behalf of our 300+-member Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation and the tens of thousands of concerned citizens who serve as our supporters, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation thanks Instagram for its efforts to promote digital wellbeing and online safety. However, despite these efforts, there is still rampant grooming for sexual abuse, sex trafficking,…