Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has criticised global tech companies for being slow to take preventative action against a range of sexual crimes against children being initiated on their services, highlighting the significant gaps in their efforts.
eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant noted its latest transparency report shows many of “the same safety gaps and shortcomings” uncovered in two previous reports still exist without any “meaningful or tangible action being taken”.
The report found minimal progress made by the tech companies to address the issue despite previous reports showing not enough was being done to protect children.
Inman Grant said it is clear the companies haven’t taken many steps to improve their efforts despite the promise of AI to tackle such harms, adding: “It shows that when left to their own devices, these companies aren’t prioritising the protection of children and are seemingly turning a blind eye to crimes occurring on their services”.
The commissioner noted Apple services and Google’s YouTube didn’t even answer questions about how many user reports they received about child sexual abuse on their services.
In July 2024, eSafety stepped up the pressure on tech companies by giving legally enforceable transparency notices under the country’s Online Safety Act to Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Discord, WhatsApp, Snap and Skype, requiring each to file reports every six months for a period of two years about how they are tackling crimes against children.
Source: Mobile World Live
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