Instagram promote child molestation – Report

A report published by The Wall Street Journal revealed the role of Instagram algorithms in promoting child molestation and spreading illegal sexual content.

The report is based on a joint investigation between the newspaper and researchers from Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

According to the report, Instagram’s algorithms use a system of ‘suggestions and recommendations’ to connect harassers with sellers and promoters of illegal content.

Despite the technical and legal efforts being made to limit this behavior, the true scope of the network cannot be precisely determined.

Furthermore, 405 accounts promoting child sex content were detected on Instagram, where people are directed to external sites to obtain illegal content.

With blatant hashtags, a pedophile network has flourished on Instagram. The platform doesn’t merely host these activities. Its algorithms have actively promoted them. https://t.co/3JIsDgOOMm

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 7, 2023

Other applications such as Snapchat and TikTok were not reported to be promoting such content.

But, the report suggested that Elon Musk, the American billionaire, is still concerned about these practices.

In response to the report, Meta, the company that owns Instagram, has expressed its commitment to combating such behavior and has set up an internal task force to investigate allegations and deal with them promptly and effectively.

Combating child sexual exploitation and illegal sexual content on the Internet and over social media platforms remains an important challenge that requires cooperation and joint efforts by technology companies and the international community to curb it and protect children.