You Can Help Congress Pass the “Fix App Ratings” Bill
It’s time to fix app ratings. The current system of hoping technology companies accurately and transparently self-“rate” their own products is broken. As a result, minors are left exposed to grooming, harassment, explicit content, and sexual abuse and exploitation at unprecedented levels. That’s where House Resolution (H.Res.) 721 comes in. Faced with the mounting crisis…
Oregon Mom Allegedly Used Snapchat to Groom and Rape a 14-Year-Old Boy
The sexual exploitation of minors is a tragic reality for far too many children in our society. In early December 2019, a 36-year-old woman was arrested in Oregon with multiple sex crime charges. The woman, Rheta Melvin, allegedly used Snapchat to message and solicit a 14-year-old boy for sex. The 14-year-old, a student at the…
Victory! NCOSE Endorses “END Network Abuse Act” to Combat Child Sexual Abuse Material
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation recently endorsed and helped pass key legislation in Congress: the End National Defense (END) Network Abuse Act. The provision, authored by Senator Brain Schatz (D-HI) and cosponsored by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), is included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and is expected to be signed into law. …
Porn Industry Normalizes Children Using Porn with “Baby Yoda” Meme
Odds are good that you have seen at least one version of this viral Internet meme being shared countless times across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (and beyond): an adorable tiny green alien known colloquially as “Baby Yoda.” Baby Yoda is a character from a Disney+ series called The Mandalorian. Although said to be 50 years…
A Decade of Addiction Ravaged His Life After Being Exposed to Porn at Age 11
John* was an A+ student. He loved playing baseball with his younger brother and he had a good relationship with his parents who did everything they could to raise him well and instill him with the right values. Also, John was 11 years old when he was exposed to pornography. He was first exposed to…
STATEMENT: Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Revisions (COPPA 2.0) Endorsed by NCOSE
Washington, D.C. – National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has agreed to endorse the Children’s Online Privacy Act (2019) (S748/HR3900) introduced by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Josh Hawley (R-MO.). “In 1998, Congress passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It was a significant step towards protecting the personal information of children online….
Fox News: Instagram is ‘predators’ paradise,’ human rights groups claim
Original published on Fox News By Christopher Carbone A group of international anti-sexual exploitation organizations on Wednesday blasted Instagram as a “predators’ paradise” as a part of a campaign to call out abusive behaviors on the popular photo platform. “It’s time to #WakeUpInstagram, and stop a predators’ paradise from flourishing. Instagram needs to prioritize the…
CBS News Admits Porn is Hijacking the Sexuality of America’s Children
In a significant development for the movement to end sexual exploitation, including the public health crisis of pornography, a CBSN Originals documentary from CBS News called “Speaking Frankly: Porn” is exposing the massive and disquieting impact pornography is having on children and teens across the United States. Although the findings of the documentary are not…
Industry Experts Sound Alarm on Emerging Threats to Online Child Safety
Online child safety should be top of mind for all of us—not just parents. We protect children from undue harm and exploitation from harmful industries elsewhere—such as the tobacco industry—but our systems and laws have not kept pace with technological advancement and our children’s well-being is at severe risk as a result. That reality was…
Model Legislation Would Put Responsibility on Manufacturers to Make Phones Safer for Kids
Cars must have seatbelts, pill bottles must have child-safe caps, and cigarettes must have warning labels and cannot be sold to children. But for some reason virtually every pre-teen in America is given a smartphone–a device capable of communicating with people across the globe, accessing virtually any form of information, and taking and sending photos…