Protecting Children Online
With Data, Not Silence

Meta operates the largest social media platforms in the world. Facebook and Instagram together account for the majority of all CSAM reports to NCMEC — 85% in 2023 and 67% in 2024. While Meta deploys extensive safety technology, its rollout of end-to-end encryption on Messenger led to a dramatic 52% drop in Facebook CSAM reports, raising concerns that exploitation is going undetected rather than declining.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, saw a 33% increase in NCMEC reports in 2024 despite end-to-end encryption limiting proactive scanning. UK data from NSPCC identifies WhatsApp as one of the top three platforms for grooming. Reports are primarily generated from unencrypted metadata and user reports.

TikTok saw a 130% increase in CSAM reports in 2024, the largest jump among major platforms. While TikTok has implemented safety features including private defaults for under-16 accounts, the DOJ sued for COPPA violations and multiple state AGs have taken legal action.

Google operates YouTube, the world's largest video platform, along with Search, Drive, and other services. Google invented and open-sourced the Content Safety API and actively reports CSAM to NCMEC. Its subsidiary YouTube was fined $170M in 2019 for COPPA violations but has since introduced significant child safety features.

Snapchat's disappearing message design has made it a primary tool for sextortion schemes targeting minors. NCMEC reports jumped 65% year-over-year in 2024. While Snap has introduced Family Center and AI-based detection, the ephemeral nature of its platform continues to pose unique risks.

Following Elon Musk's acquisition, X (formerly Twitter) drastically reduced its Trust & Safety team and stopped publishing traditional transparency reports. CSAM reports declined 21% in 2024, raising questions about whether this reflects reduced detection capacity rather than actual improvement.

Discord's server-based community structure can create hard-to-monitor spaces where predators operate. The 764 network — designated a terrorist group by Canada — actively uses Discord for sextortion. Multiple state AGs have sued, alleging the platform fails to protect children.

Microsoft invented PhotoDNA — the industry-standard technology for detecting known CSAM images — and donated it to NCMEC. The company proactively scans across its cloud services and developed Project Artemis for AI-based grooming detection. Microsoft faces less legal scrutiny than peers.

Roblox faces the most severe legal scrutiny of any platform for child safety failures. With 56% of its 151.5 million daily users under age 16, Hindenburg Research labeled it a 'pedophile hellscape.' Nearly 150 lawsuits have been consolidated into a federal MDL, and multiple state AGs have sued. Despite safety features, user-generated content continues to expose children to exploitation.

Apple stands out for its near-complete absence of CSAM detection. With only 250 reports to NCMEC in 2024 — compared to millions from other major platforms — Apple abandoned its planned iCloud scanning program after privacy backlash. West Virginia's AG has sued, alleging Apple's refusal to scan enables exploitation to thrive undetected.

Telegram has been described by NCMEC as 'truly in a league of their own' regarding lack of moderation. The platform files zero reports to NCMEC as it's not U.S.-based. CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris in 2024 on charges including complicity in CSAM distribution. Telegram only joined the IWF in December 2024 after years of refusal.