In a joint investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal and researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it was revealed that Instagram, the social media platform owned by Mark Zuckerberg, is serving as a hub to “connect and promote a vast network of accounts openly devoted to the commission and purchase of underage-sex content.”
Unlike traditional forums and file-transfer services associated with illicit content, Instagram’s algorithms actively encourage and recommend such activities, effectively connecting pedophiles and guiding them to content sellers, WSJ reported.
BOMBSHELL REPORT:Researchers from UMASS and Stanford uncover pedophile network on Instagram.
“Instagram connects pedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems that excel at linking those who share niche interests, the Journal and the academic…
— Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) June 7, 2023
The researchers discovered that Instagram enables users to search for explicit hashtags, such as #pedowhore and #preteensex, connecting them to accounts advertising “child-sex material for sale.”
These accounts often claim to be operated by the children themselves and use overtly sexual handles. Rather than openly publishing illicit content, these accounts provide “menus” of available content, sometimes inviting buyers to commission specific acts. Shockingly, some of these menus even include prices for videos of children harming themselves and engaging in “sexual acts with animals,” according to the Stanford Internet Observatory.
“At the right price, children are available for in-person “meet-ups,”” WSJ added.
The promotion of underage-sex content on Instagram violates both federal law and Meta’s established rules. In response to inquiries from The Wall Street Journal, Meta acknowledged the issues within its enforcement operations and established an internal task force to address these concerns.
Instagram’s user base has been consistently growing since its launch in 2010. Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012.
In many countries, the distribution, possession, and promotion of child sexual abuse material are criminal offenses, including the US. If a social media company is found to be knowingly facilitating or promoting such content, they may face legal consequences, including fines and other penalties. Additionally, their platforms may be subject to investigations and potential shutdowns or restrictions.
Writer and researcher @JoshWalkos discussed the disturbing report in a series of tweets:
“In 2022, the center (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) received 31.9 million reports of child pornography, mostly from internet companies—up 47% from two years earlier.”
And people wonder why so many are concerned with the grooming and sexualization of children.
— Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) June 7, 2023
WTF is this? How can this not be interpreted that META is endorsing depravity? pic.twitter.com/1cNXS6KL98
— Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) June 7, 2023
Wow
“Even glancing contact with an account in Instagram’s pedophile community can trigger the platform to begin recommending that users join it.”
— Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) June 7, 2023
“I wish the masses (who are not pedophilic assh*les) would understand the true scale of this problem. It’s worldwide, in every city, backed by powerful forces and getting worse. It’s not a “conspiracy theory” it’s a fact and goes all the way to the top. There is a reason we are seeing an attempt at normalizing the sexualization of kids in schools and institutions,” Josh wrote.
You can read the full report in Wall Street Journal.