300 online child sex crimes recorded in Cornwall and Devon in a year
The NSPCC claims Facebook-owned apps are being used in more than half of cases across the country
Devon and Cornwall Police have recorded over 300 online child sex crimes in the past twelve months, according to new figures.
The NSPCC is suggesting Facebook-owned apps are being used in more than half of cases.
The charity is calling on the Government to deliver meaningful change in the Online Safety Bill to tackle the 'biggest threat' to children online.
According to an NSPCC study, in a single year, police across the country recorded more than 9,470 instances where the means of communication was known in reports of child sex abuse image and online child sex offences - 52% of which are reported to have taken place on Facebook-owned apps.
Instagram was used more than any other Facebook-owned platform, in over a third of all instances.
Meanwhile, Facebook and Messenger were used in a further 13%, according to the data obtained from 35 police forces in England, Wales and the Channel Islands by the NSPCC via Freedom of Information requests.
In the South West, police registered 1,092 offences where the platform was identified, with 50% of them coming through Facebook-owned apps.
The charity fears many of these could go unreported if Facebook proceeds with end-to-end encryption without necessary safeguards in place.
They are urging the Government to give Ofcom the power to take early and meaningful action against firms whose dangerous design choices put children at risk.
Facebook says it is "building strong safety measures" into its plans.
In response to the research, a Facebook company spokesperson said: "Child exploitation has no place on our platforms and we will continue to lead the industry in developing new ways to prevent, detect and respond to abuse.
"For example, last week we announced new safety features on Instagram including preventing adults from messaging under 18s who don’t follow them.
"End-to-end encryption is already the leading security technology used by many services to keep people, including children, safe from having their private information hacked and stolen.
"Its full rollout on our messaging services is a long-term project and we are building strong safety measures into our plans."
Andy Burrows, NSPCC Head of Child Safety Online Policy, said: "Facebook is willingly turning back the clock on children's safety by pushing ahead with end-to-end encryption despite repeated warnings that their apps will facilitate more serious abuse more often.
"This underlines exactly why Oliver Dowden must introduce a truly landmark Online Safety Bill that makes sure child protection is no longer a choice for tech firms and resets industry standards in favour of children.
"If legislation is going to deliver meaningful change it needs to be strengthened to decisively tackle abuse in private messaging, one of the biggest threats to children online."
The NSPCC is calling on the Government to:
1. Shift the onus to be on tech firms to show they are identifying and mitigating risks on products before they roll them out. The current onus is for Ofcom to prove risk, rather than companies to show they are taking steps to protect children. But they won't be able to do this with end-to-end encryption in place because the majority of child abuse reports will disappear, creating a catch 22 for the regulator.
2. Give Ofcom the power to force tech firms to act before harm has happened rather than after. Under the current plans, the regulator needs to demonstrate persistent and prevalent child abuse before it can force platforms to act. But the thrust of the legislation should be to catch harm at the earliest stage to prevent it.
3. Make Ofcom consider the interplay of risky design features to see if it's likely to exacerbate risk. End-to-end encryption is likely to present particularly severe risks if it can be exploited by abusers in conjunction with other high-risk design choices, for example algorithmic friend suggestions and livestreaming functionality. This is why the NSPCC is particularly concerned about the proposals to introduce end-to-end encryption on Facebook.
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A Government spokesperson said: "Our Online Safety Bill will bring in world-leading measures to protect children and ensure there is no safe space for paedophiles to hide on social media.
"The burden will fall solely on social media companies to prove they’re doing all they can to keep children safe and they will not be able to use encryption as an excuse.
"End-to-end encryption risks blinding both social media companies and law enforcement to these dreadful crimes and tech companies must put public safety at the heart of their system designs or face heavy fines."