Online Exploitation: A Growing Concern for Children

One of the most pressing public health challenges for today’s youth is the alarming rise in online exploitation and child abuse.

We’ve all heard stories, and while they’re heartbreaking, many of these situations are preventable. For instance, a man from Rhode Island recently faced indictment for allegedly using social media to entice a girl into engaging in sexual activities. Another case involved a New York man who reportedly contacted two 11-year-old boys on Snapchat and later assaulted them in person.

It’s easy for parents to feel a false sense of security, convincing themselves that such incidents won’t happen to their children. However, statistics reveal a more troubling reality.

An Industrial Scale Issue

In 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children documented 20.5 million reports concerning suspected sexual exploitation, which included over 62.9 million images and videos of minors. Alarmingly, incidents of online grooming have surged by 192% since 2023.

Moreover, Cybertipline reports reveal that there have been over 1,300 reports related to violent online groups, indicating a stark 200% spike since last year.

Young children are being targeted on an “industrial scale.” The age group of 7-10 has seen a threefold increase in abusive imagery. The FBI has issued warnings about sextortion, identifying it as one of the rapidly growing crimes affecting children, particularly those aged 10-16. Young individuals exposed to sexual content or cyberbullying are reported to have a 50% higher risk of contemplating suicide.

Social media’s impact on mental health is also a growing concern. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has labeled this as “one of the defining public health challenges of our time,” with 48% of teenagers noting a detrimental effect on their well-being due to social media.

These alarming figures underline the urgent need for widespread change.

It’s Time to Take Action

First and foremost, major tech companies must take responsibility for enhancing the safety of younger users. In 2023 alone, companies like Meta, TikTok, and Snap spent around $30 million on lobbying. These firms earned an estimated $11 billion from advertising aimed at underage children in 2022, according to a Harvard study.

While Big Tech seems resistant to accountability, elected officials need to step up and lead the charge to protect children from online dangers.

We cannot merely respond to crises. The rising presence of AI significantly complicates online safety concerns for minors. Congress must act decisively to implement policies ensuring that social media platforms adopt protective measures for children and their parents, creating a safer online environment.

Moreover, lawmakers should reconsider the protections offered by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has long been utilized by tech companies to deflect legal responsibility for the harm they cause.

Leadership Is Essential

Ultimately, addressing this issue begins at the top levels of government.

The president has both the opportunity and the duty to prioritize children’s internet safety. Notably, President Trump has taken significant steps in this arena, signing bipartisan legislation aimed at requiring websites to swiftly remove non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes.

Many parents, whose children have been victims of online exploitation, have championed these protective measures. Without effective intervention, as some parents caution, we risk losing an entire generation to the online threats facing our youth.

Fortunately, advocacy groups and concerned parents have recently successfully pushed back against attempts to weaken state-level child protection laws in Congress.

But we should remain vigilant—Big Tech will continue to resist accountability when it comes to safeguarding children.

Creating a Golden Digital Age

Parents play a crucial role in protecting their children online, but this responsibility is shared among society, businesses, government, and the faith community.

Everyone holds the tools and technology to create a safer internet for children. Several bipartisan initiatives are advancing in Congress, and we need the willpower to make these changes a reality.

If the current online threats are not addressed, we risk the future of our youth.

A truly golden age for America encompasses a digital age that safeguards the innocence and dignity of our children—our greatest asset.