Tech giants are failing to detect and stop child sexual abuse on their platforms despite having the technology and resources to tackle it, according to a new report from Australia's eSafety Commissioner. The second transparency report, which summarizes responses from eight major companies including Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, found that these firms are not adequately addressing what Commissioner Julie Inman Grant describes as the worst online content.
The report highlights that companies selectively use detection tools. For instance, Meta employs tools to detect live-streamed child abuse on Facebook and Instagram Live but not on its Messenger app. Apple FaceTime, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams do not use proactive detection tools on any services. Commissioner Inman Grant criticized this inconsistency, stating that if companies can implement detection on one service, they can do so on others, and that the lack of action stems from business and revenue decisions.
Despite some improvements since the first report in August—such as better detection of material flagged by police, information sharing, and faster responses to abuse notifications—the Commissioner said the progress is insufficient. She warned that criminals will simply move to platforms without protections, emphasizing the need for industry-wide safety standards.
Parent Rinelda van der Berg, who keeps her eight-year-old daughter offline as long as possible, expressed concern about the risks. She urged tech companies to consider that it could be their own children exposed to abuse, questioning whether they would accept that outcome.
