The DigitALL World
International Day of the Women’s theme for 2023 is DigitALL – highlighting the disparity amongst digital and online access and employment between men and women.
We at Free The Girls don’t really do much with electronics in our programs. Partly because most, if not all, of our women were exploited in more traditional ways: brothel based, street-based prostitution, etc. Also, in part, because in the under-resourced communities where we work, it is not uncommon for individuals to not have reliable access to the internet or electronics.
However, we do want to take this opportunity to highlight what digital exploitation looks like in the US – in your own online “neighborhood”, as it were. Because online exploitation, especially of children and teens, is growing at an alarming pace. So what is it? How does it happen? Where does it happen? How can you protect yourself or loved ones from this type of exploitation? Let’s answer some of these questions.
What it is:
Online exploitation is the often sexual exploitation of an individual by another person without consent. This includes nude photos or videos, child sexual abuse material (formerly known as child pornography), or any type of sexploitation – blackmailing or threatening release of such materials unless a person complies with what the exploiter demands. And yes, this includes what we think of as “traditional” sex trafficking. One report from 2018 states that over 40% of victims who were recruited online never physically met their trafficker, even while being exploited for sex. And in 2021, 83% of prosecuted cases of sex trafficking included online solicitation.
How it happens:
Just as in other type of exploitation, it is common to have an exploiter groom a victim, gaining their trust and asking them to send provocative, sexual, or nude photos or videos because the victim believes they are in a committed and trusting relationship. Sometimes a photo or video that was sent to one person is then shared to their community or network without the consent of the person in the photo. Then there are deep fakes - a disturbing trend where one can digitally manipulate a photo or video to seamlessly place another person’s face and even voice onto the original image to where the falsification is nearly undetectable.
Once the exploiter has the material, he or she can then sell the image or video for profit (again and always, without the consent of the individual) or even use it for sextortion – a term combining the words “sex” and “extortion.” This occurs when the exploiter threatens to release the sensitive materials to the victim’s family, religious community, school, coworkers, etc. unless the victim provides more materials, or sends money, or even meets up with them or another person for sexual acts in exchange for the exploiter to keep the materials to themselves.
Other disturbing instances have shown that exploiters take innocent photos of people from social media accounts (even ones set to private) and Photoshop or otherwise manipulate the innocent photo to be pornographic or violent. In fact, one report from Australia showed that about half of the photos on one child sexual abuse site were originally innocent and innocuous, taken from social media accounts that had been uploaded by parents or by the teens themselves.
Where it happens:
Because it’s online, it happens everywhere there’s an internet connection. In fact, due to the COVID pandemic when shelter-in-place orders were given and many people turned online for entertainment, education, and to stay connected, calls to US authorities reporting online child sexual exploitation nearly doubled. And 94% of the exploitation was occurring on Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp (all owned by Meta). Also in 2020, 79% of U.S. child sex trafficking victims recruited online were recruited through Facebook or Instagram and 8% on Snapchat. Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr – all of these have spaces devoted to exploitive materials, including child sexual abuse material.
How to protect those you love from this:
First off, know who you are interacting with online. In today’s age when apps abound for connecting people for love, for friendship, for common interests, it’s not unusual to “meet” someone online. But be cautious. If you feel uneasy about any interaction, trust your gut.
If you are a parent, have open and honest conversations with your children about the potential risks of sharing information online. From their real name, their birthday, where they attend schools or baseball schedules, to photos of themselves (nude or otherwise), know that any information given to someone they do not physically know could potentially be used for nefarious purposes.
Another thing for parents to be aware of are the photos you are posting of your children on social media. Reports, arrests, and prosecutions have been made around the world of people downloading innocent photos of children posted by their parents and uploading them to sites devoted to child sexual abuse. (Yes, even on accounts set to private).
For teens and young adults, if you have a friend who begins to isolate from you, not sharing as much since meeting this person or playing this game or downloading this app – consider that a red flag. If your friend begins to have more money or flashy gifts or, on the other hand, seems depressed or ashamed, be a good friend and take the appropriate steps to figure out what’s happening. It could be nothing – but it could help save a life.
And please be aware that online sexual exploitation is exponentially increased for teenage boys. And due to shame, stigma, or threats of outing a person, these cases are underreported. Boys, girls, women, men – everyone who has access to the internet can be a victim of this crime.
None of this is meant to scare anyone from being online. The world is increasingly digital and that trend isn’t going away anytime soon. We just need to be aware of how to look out for ourselves and others on the internet now. There are some beautiful things that happen in the digital space (including all you online donors!).
The digital world should be safe for all. Let’s make sure we are using it for the benefit of everyone, especially those most at risk of exploitation, girls and women.
References and resources:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Federal Trafficking Institute Report