Pornography
USA – Over half of sex trafficking recruitment cases occurred on Facebook
According to the Human Trafficking Institute’s 2020 Federal Human Trafficking Report, the majority of online recruitment (65%) in active sex trafficking cases in the U.S. occurred on Facebook. Data from the last two decades showed that 30% of all victims, identified in federal sex trafficking cases since 2000, were recruited online. Instagram and Snapchat were the most frequently cited platforms after Facebook for recruiting child victims in 2020. For adult victims, the next-most cited were WeChat and Instagram. The majority of victims in active sex trafficking cases in 2020 were targeted with a fraudulent job offer, the report notes, followed by feigned romance. The data is based on 602 victims. More
India – Multiple Child Pornography cases on Twitter Registered in India
The Delhi Police has registered a case against Twitter on a complaint by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for allegedly allowing access to child sexual abuse material on the social media platform. Keswani alleged that Twitter, “through a conspiracy”, distorted the country’s identity and hurt their sentiments. Keswani initiate legal action against the social media giant for putting up this distortion. Notably, the platform has lost its legal shield in India, becoming liable for users posting any unlawful content. The government has confronted the US digital giant over deliberate defiance and failure to comply with the country’s new IT rules, despite repeated reminders. More
USA – Cognitive Processes Related to Problematic Pornography Use
A study published in Science Direct explained the consequences of problematic pornography use (PPU). Excessive time and effort spent on watching and searching for pornography, impaired self-control over pornography use, failure to fulfil family, social, or work responsibilities, persistence in these sexual behaviours regardless of consequences all characterizes PPU. Twenty-one experimental studies and from six countries were included in this review. The study reported:
Findings from all five studies which tested for “attentional bias” showed that individuals with PPU or greater pornography consumption are more likely to show attentional bias toward sexual stimuli. This is significant because attentional bias is a known indicator of addiction. PPU relates to impaired “inhibitory control” which plays a “central role” in regulating human behaviour. It is especially critical in managing what we call “self-control”. Article, Study.
Germany – Germany Is About to Block One of the Biggest Porn Sites
German Child Protection Regulators are on the verge of blocking one of the world’s largest pornographic websites, xHamster, because they refuse to introduce age checks. Legislators around the world—including in Canada, France, the UK, and some US states—are looking to introduce more measures aimed at stopping children from accessing adult material online. Germany is also on the verge of taking legal action against three other sites, YouPorn, Pornhub, and MyDirtyHobby, for the same reason. All these sites are owned by MindGeek. In reality this means issuing a blocking order to Germany’s biggest web providers—including Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, O2, and 1&1—demanding that they block the website for people trying to access it in Germany. More
Philippines – Activists are trying to change law that 12-year-olds can consent to sex
Child sexual abuse is rampant in the Philippines, which activists say is partly driven by the country’s law regarding the age at which girls can legally consent to sex, at just 12 years old. Opponents of the law say children that age are incapable of giving consent. The law protects predators, because they can claim victims consented. The low age of consent contributes to what international rights organizations have described as high levels of sex trafficking and teenage pregnancy in the Philippines. Raising the age is just one step. The bill includes more provisions to strengthen enforcement, improve the investigation and legal process, and provide more support and confidentiality for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. More