Breaking the cyber cycle

Last week I spoke about how the Philippines has become “the world’s largest known source of online child sexual exploitation”  known by the acronym OSEC according to a recent report from the International Justice Mission. While the label in itself is one of grave concern, it pales in comparison to the destruction of lives of so many Filipino children who are being abused on camera.

It goes without saying that we cannot let this stand. What can the government do to rescue these children, and break the cycle of exploitation?

As OSEC is a crime that is made possible by technology, it’s natural that our search for solutions should start there. The use of live streaming creates problems for older law enforcement and evidence gathering techniques, as it subverts the idea that the Internet “remembers everything.” OSEC is deemed a hidden and underreported crime because of the transient and real-time nature of live streams. Little evidence remains after they end.

Technology, however, is being developed that could enable OSEC streams to be detected. Microsoft, in collaboration with the Internet Watch Foundation, adapted its PhotoDNA image search tool to enable it to find videos of child sexual abuse embedded in other video content. While this is not yet applicable to live streams, the possibility of such a tool exists: as early as 2017, Facebook was testing machine learning to “detect posts and live streams where someone might be expressing suicidal thoughts.” A French youth-focused social media app called Yubo was able to develop algorithms that could detect child nudity. Google has allegedly begun investing in technology that would allow them to monitor live streams and flag any potential inappropriate behavior.

Such technology, however, remains undeployed as of today. While streaming platforms are aware of the problem of OSEC, and do cooperate with States and NGOs, the resources required to develop and roll out livestreaming safeguards are enormous. Most of the large streaming and social media companies seem more concerned with creating the impression of privacy for their adult users, rather than creating regulatory measures that might be seen as intruding on that security – and thus their company’s bottom line. It is up to the national governments, NGOs, and private citizens who use these services to make it clear that they must prioritize efforts to prevent OSEC on their platforms. If the status quo is one where criminals can use these services to molest eleven year olds without fear of discovery or arrest, then the status quo must be upended. 

As we wait for new tools and policies to be implemented, there are other ways to bring OSEC perpetrators to justice. While the livestreaming itself may be impenetrable, abusers also tend to engage in other acts that can be tracked. Those who seek out child exploitation material are likely to download related files to their computer, and it isn’t rare for them to actually make recordings of the streams for their own twisted purposes. These files can be found pursuant to legal searches and used as evidence. Paying customers of OSEC streams may also be identified by profiling their financial activities and the payments they send to the streamers. These methods, however, do not only require massive investment of resources but also a framework of international cooperation across jurisdictions. 

On this point we have cause for optimism: international collaborations involving the Philippines such as the Manila Dialogues have borne much fruit. Information sharing between local authorities and organizations such as the IJM, INTERPOL, as well as foreign law enforcement agencies have led to the capture and prosecution of OSEC perpetrators here and abroad. Two other recent initiatives are the signing of the US-Philippines Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership in 2017, and the launch last year of the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC).

 It is important, however, to remember that the needs of child victims do not end with their rescue. Survivor care is essential in the aftermath of OSEC, to prevent – or at least minimize – moments when the children are forced to re-live such horrible trauma. A priority of the DOJ has been to ensure that prosecution of OSEC cases be done in a manner protective of the survivor, one where the best interest of the child is held as paramount. This is why practices such as plea agreements and video in-depth interviewing (VIDI) are encouraged when consistent with the interests of justice, as they avoid the need for a child survivor to testify in front of their abuser, or otherwise be subjected to the stresses of a live and prolonged trial process. 

The end goal of survivor care is for the child to be able to re-enter society and to provide a support network for them to overcome their trauma. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has a Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP) which provides a comprehensive package of services for the survivor, their family, and the community. 

But, of course, the best case scenario would be one where such services are unnecessary, because the exploitation did not occur in the first place. The best defense against crimes that prey on innocence is knowledge and education, and it is very important that such campaigns be tailored for more than one audience. It is of course essential that parents be educated about the ways the Internet can be used to endanger their children, and the red flags to watch out for that would indicate a possible attempt at “grooming” (the development of a relationship with the child who the criminal intends to exploit). However, because the data shows that a majority of children in OSEC cases were exploited by their own relatives, it is imperative that we also have educational campaigns directed at the children themselves. We must not shy away from empowering our children to defend themselves out of a misguided attempt to protect their innocence. 

The Internet has become indispensable and ubiquitous – it is a highway that runs right through our homes, and refusing to teach our children how to cross it safely places their lives at risk. 

The war against OSEC should be fought in multiple fronts but it cannot be won unless we arm ourselves with knowledge and we share this knowledge to others, especially the most vulnerable.

We must act now to break the cyber cycle of exploitation or else we strengthen the chains of modern slavery.