ATLANTA, Ga. (WGXA) — The recently enacted Report Act, designed to protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation, mandates that technology and social media companies report evidence of child enticement or trafficking.
“This a major step forward to protect kids online,” said Senator Jon Ossoff who is the sponsor of the bill. In the first six months since the law’s implementation, the center reported a 952% increase in cyber tipline submissions related to child sex trafficking.
Ossoff noted the significant rise in reporting. “It confirms what we knew that there was widespread sexual enticement of children on social media platforms…of which tech companies had evidence of but which they were not reporting,” he said.
The agency also observed a 77% increase in reports concerning the online enticement of children. Previously, platforms were only required to report apparent child pornography.
Fallon McNulty from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children highlighted the risks children face online. “Children who are online, who are accessing social media, online games really any area of the internet…bad actors, offenders know what platform children are using and going there to find them,” she said.
In the first 6 months of this year, the agency received over 63,000 reports.
McNulty added that the new law enhances their ability to protect children. “Now we are able to make those reports available to law enforcement agencies across the United States as well as across the globe to ensure that those children can be safeguarded and those offenders who are targeting children can be brought to justice,” she said.
