The Harm of Pedophilic Content and Global Laws
The dissemination of pedophilic content is one of the gravest online crimes that severely infringes on children’s rights. Such content not only promotes and reinforces sexual abuse of children but also leaves profound psychological and social scars on the victims and society. Children subjected to such abuse often carry the psychological and emotional consequences of these experiences for the rest of their lives.
Many countries and international regulations strictly prohibit the distribution and promotion of pedophilic content. In various countries, producing, distributing, and viewing such content carries heavy penalties, including imprisonment and substantial fines. On the internet, many platforms and social networks have stringent rules to combat this type of content, encouraging users to report such material.
Telegram’s Mechanism for Handling Pedophilia
As one of the major messaging platforms, Telegram has implemented mechanisms to handle pedophilic content. One of these mechanisms is the direct reporting feature, which allows users to report inappropriate content to Telegram’s administrators. Additionally, Telegram has established an email address, [email protected], for reporting child abuse content, enabling users to report suspicious content to this email.
In December 2022, at Webamooz, we launched a bot named @childabusewebamoozbot and, with the help of public reports, reported and emailed over 4,000 channels, groups, and bots distributing pedophilic content to Telegram. However, for obvious reasons, these methods are not sufficient. Offenders continue their activities by transferring content to their secure channels and creating new channels rapidly. Telegram has also not taken any action to identify the administrators of these channels and permanently cut off their access to the platform. This highlights the need for new and more effective approaches to address this issue.
Ineffectiveness of Current Methods
Despite these mechanisms, Telegram’s current methods for combating pedophilic content are insufficient. Offenders employ sophisticated techniques to circumvent these mechanisms. One such technique is using secure channels to distribute links to the final pedophilic channels. In case a pedophilic channel is blocked, a new link is introduced in the secure channel, which operates normally. This method enables offenders to quickly establish new channels and transfer content to them.
Another technique involves using Telegram bots to disseminate content. These bots allow users to access pedophilic content, which is deleted after a few seconds, making it difficult to report.
Specific U.S. Laws for Dealing with Non-Compliant Platforms
In the United States, specific laws exist for dealing with non-compliant platforms. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Federal Child Exploitation Laws are among these regulations. According to these laws, platforms are required to take appropriate measures to prevent the dissemination of pedophilic content. Failure to do so can lead to legal action. For example, under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A, platforms must report child abuse content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Non-compliance with these laws can result in severe penalties and legal action against the platforms.
Need for More Responsible Actions from Telegram
Telegram, as a popular messaging platform, must take a more responsible stance on this issue. The platform should have the capability to identify and block pedophilic content in its cloud infrastructure before it is published and permanently ban offenders. This is especially crucial in countries where Telegram does not cooperate with the governments, such as Iran, where the spread of such content can cause even more harm to the population.
These channels are not limited to disseminating child abuse content but also publish the personal information and identities of minors to exert pressure on them. This is particularly dangerous for victims living in countries with weaker laws and limited access to legal support. Telegram must adopt more proactive and decisive measures to protect its users, especially children and adolescents, making the platform a safer environment for everyone.
Conclusion
Given the profound and widespread harm caused by the dissemination of pedophilic content, and its devastating impact on children and society, it is crucial for major messaging platforms like Telegram to take decisive and responsible action against this issue. Although Telegram has implemented mechanisms for reporting and blocking pedophilic content, these methods alone are insufficient, as offenders continue to use various techniques to disseminate this content.
Telegram must take more serious measures in accordance with strict international and national laws, especially in the United States, to permanently identify and block pedophilic content and cut off access for offenders. These measures should include advanced technology to automatically identify pedophilic content in its cloud infrastructure and prevent its publication, as well as closer cooperation with legal authorities to prosecute offenders.
Finally, Telegram must assure its users that the platform is a safe environment for everyone, especially children and adolescents. Responsible and decisive action on this issue will not only help reduce crime and abuse in the online space but also enhance users’ trust in the platform. Achieving this goal requires comprehensive cooperation between Telegram, users, and legal authorities to make the platform a safe and healthy environment for all.
If you are in countries like Iran where children and minors have access to the Telegram platform, it is crucial to monitor and restrict their access. The spread of pedophilic and other inappropriate content in such countries, where Telegram does not cooperate with the governments, can cause even greater harm to the population. Therefore, parental and guardian supervision of children’s online activities is vital.
Delete these channels please