ECPAT and NSPCC’s 2023 Poll has shown that public opinion remains steadfast. We surveyed 25,151 people aged 18+ across 15 EU countries and the UK and we found out that the call for legislation to protect children online is not up for debate; it’s an urgent public demand. More than half of all Europeans surveyed declared that this issue will influence how they vote at a future election. With the European Parliament elections on the horizon in June 2024, MEPs face a duty and a moral imperative to enact meaningful legislation for online child safety.
Not only are Europeans calling for more child safety online, but ECPAT and Eurobarometer data show they want it now more than ever. In 2021, ECPAT conducted a similar poll, asking EU citizens about their views on child safety online. The findings from 2021 and 2023 underscore a major growing concern among European citizens: children in 2023 are not safer online than they were in 2021. The time has come to place legal obligations on online service providers, such as social media platforms, to assess and mitigate the risk of child sexual abuse on their online platforms.
In the words of Frida*, a survivor of technology-facilitated sexual abuse as a child:
“As a 13-year-old, I deserved to be safe, and I deserved the right to express myself on the internet. As someone in my early twenties I deserve the right to privacy, the right to know that explicit images and videos of me as a child can’t continue to be shared.”
Despite the contentious debate around online privacy, ECPAT and NSPCC poll reveal that 72% of adults in the EU and the UK are willing to compromise some degree of their privacy online if it helps to protect children from risks of sexual abuse online. Data show that more than 70% of adults in the EU and the UK support online service providers to detect, report, and remove child sexual abuse material and grooming on end-to-end encrypted services. The message is clear: privacy concerns should not eclipse the safety of our children.
Amy Crocker, Head of Child Protection and Technology at ECPAT International said:
Public sentiment remains unswayed by privacy debates that overshadow child protection needs. The demand for comprehensive legislation safeguarding our children online is urgent, immediate, and non-negotiable. EU leaders can no longer afford to be inactive or indecisive. Privacy is essential, buthe well-being of our children must be the cornerstone of EU digital policies.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said:
It’s clear that voters across the UK and Europe back strong protections for children online and companies opposed to regulation are becoming increasingly out of step with their user base. Lawmakers and tech executives should listen to the voices of survivors and the public by placing the safety of children at the centre of their decision-making.
Data reveals that Europeans see online service providers as one of the most important actors in preventing and protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation online. And for a good reason! A WeProtect Global Study on the experiences of 18-20-year-old confirms Europeans’ growing concern: more than 60% of child respondents in Europe are experiencing at least one form of child sexual abuse online. Alarmingly, more than 60% of children worldwide are receiving unwanted sexually explicit photos, videos, or messages through mobile phones on private messaging services.
ECPAT Disrupting Harm research shows that advice and education coming from parents and teachers is not enough to protect children online. More needs to be done on the side of tech companies and online service providers as the dangers for children increase.
Meet ECPAT Project Beacon – Putting children’s rights into the heart of digital policy
What do the EU citizens really think about data privacy and child protection online?
How far are we to ensure Child Safety Online in the EU? A timeline of events.
Towards online child protection in the EU
Why Does Online Child Protection Matter? Here is ECPAT Project Beacon to explain why
ECPAT welcomes European Commission’s proposal to prevent and combat child sexual abuse
What is ECPAT doing to ensure Child Safety Online in the EU?
Comment, like, and share to help us get the word out! #EUvsChildSexualAbuse #ChildSafetyON
ECPAT International’s opinion on the topic of child sexual abuse online and the European Commission’s proposal to Combat and Prevent Child Sexual Abuse online. Interview broadcasted in the German MDR/AR media journal.
Available in: German
Available in: English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
The case study conducted with ECPAT France in Calais, France, looks at how to work with boys at risk or survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse in the contexts of migration and forced displacement.
Available in: English, French
This brief summarises a June 2024 workshop hosted by ECPAT International, bringing together child rights representatives, researchers, and online gaming companies to discuss gender, safety, and help-seeking behaviours in online environments. Emphasising the value of collaborative spaces, participants explored challenges, identified gaps, and proposed key actions to ensure gender-sensitive children’s safety in online gaming environments. The discussions left participants motivated to pursue future actions by leveraging diverse expertise for the benefit of children’s online safety.
Available in: English
Ensuring children’s safety online is crucial in the digital age, demanding a thorough understanding of children’s perspectives and needs. The executive summary of the VOICE project, a collaboration between ECPAT International, Eurochild, and Terre des Hommes Netherlands under the Down to Zero Alliance, provides quick access to the research findings from the VOICE Report “Speaking Up For Change: Children’s and Caregivers’ Voices for Safer Online Experiences.” It calls for immediate action and advocacy to implement robust safety measures and actively involve children in shaping online safety policies.
Available in: Bengali, Croatian, Dutch, English, Estonian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai
From March 4-7, 2024, a transformative workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, convened 113 participants from 34 countries spanning East and Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific. The Collective Action: End Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse workshop served as a pivotal gathering that transcended geographical boundaries to address the global crisis of sexual exploitation of children, including in the digital world. Bringing together a diverse array of stakeholders, including ECPAT members, Safe Online grantees, nongovernmental organisations and civil society organisations, as well as experts, advocates, practitioners, international organisations, and philanthropic entities from around the world, the workshop marked a significant milestone in the ongoing movement to address the sexual exploitation of children.
This report, synthesising the workshop’s outcomes, serves as a blueprint for ongoing efforts against the sexual exploitation of children. It calls for continued innovation, collaboration, and a unified vision to protect every child from sexual exploitation.
Available in: English