Yesterday an exposee on OnlyFans revealed that numerous individuals have had sexually explicit content uploaded to the site without their consent, one victim even alleging her rape was uploaded. The revelations form part of a wider trend of illegal content flooding the internet.
Sitting at the heart of this proliferation is content moderation. More specifically the lack of it. It’s long been a challenge to police and manage the internet. However, the rapid roll out of mobile devices, ease of access to social media and AI is making the situation worse.
Research has shown that young people now encounter content they would consider unsafe, age-restricted (18+) or illegal within 10 minutes of going online. One in ten (9%) have come across shocking material such as Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) while online.
In reaction to the news, Michal Karnibad, co-CEO at VerifyMy, an organisation at the forefront of the fight against CSAM and other illegal content, comments on how to proactively protect young people when online:
“It’s no secret that more needs to be done to create a safer online environment and protect our children. And this news is essentially the long expected wake up call. Illegal content is a problem for the whole online ecosystem, with brands, social media and the content producers themselves all inextricably linked in terms of trying to rid the internet of the problem. But its not just the backwaters of the internet where this content can be found anymore. It’s right at the front and centre of the websites millions of people visit each day.
“As it stands, the internet is almost impossible to police and manage, with challenges increasing due to the proliferation of AI. This is an issue for everyone; the regulators, platforms, policymakers and social media companies. But, rather than trying to blame certain parties, organisations must come together to look for reasonable solutions.
“We empathise with the adult entertainment industry being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Until legislators and policy makers give clear and robust guidelines to close loopholes and deliver regulation that is universally enforced, auditable, and equitable, adult websites cannot effectively monitor content on their platforms. Adult sites that follow ambiguous rules and are first movers will potentially become highly uncompetitive and may even go out of business. On the flip side, sites that do nothing will remain in business, but will constantly be looking over their shoulder in an opaque world, waiting for the next expose.
“We also recognise the challenges of policymakers, who have become the de facto regulators. In the case of the UK’s Online Safety Act, Ofcom has been mandated by the government to enforce and likely evolve policy. Within this context, Ofcom and other policymakers have done and continue to do their best to learn and understand the ecosystem to ensure effective online safety practices.
“To get ahead of the challenges, policymakers must foster partnerships with charities, banks, platforms and adult entertainment websites. These partnerships should also involve technology providers who are uniquely positioned to solve issues around online safety at scale and can help shape policy so that all industry participants adopt the necessary safety measures to eradicate these issues. Consulting with these providers has already led to innovation and in-depth research to discover and close loopholes.
“Until a significant change is made, the status quo and stasis will remain the same. Society, and most importantly, victims, will linger on this endless carousel – that comes with a considerable cost: severe mental health issues, loss of work, and, in some cases, suicide.
“To avoid dire consequences brought to the lives of victims -many of which children, regulators must demand better and more comprehensive content moderation on sites to ensure that performers are of age and consenting. The technologies to do this are already available, protecting society as well as the reputations of adult sites.”
