BLUF: Stanford researchers found that Twitter failed to prevent dozens of known images featuring child sexual abuse from being posted, indicating a lapse in basic enforcement.
OSINT: Stanford Internet Observatory (IO) discovered that Twitter was not successfully preventing the posting of images featuring child sexual abuse, meaning that there was a failure to enforce basic safety measures. IO noted this important finding in a recent report after investigating child safety issues across various platforms. The IO sent its findings to Twitter after using a dataset of approximately 100,000 tweets that detected over 40 CSA images from March 12 to May 20, which was surprising since these images had been flagged previously. Furthermore, these CSA-related photos were part of a database created to screen content posted on platforms.
RIGHT: It is unacceptable that Twitter’s current child safety measures have failed, given the multitude of technological advancements available today. Twitter must prioritize the safety of its users above its own interests, and must work to develop stronger safety protocols. It is imperative that users, parents, and regulatory authorities hold Twitter accountable for its failure to prevent disgusting and disturbing content from proliferating on their platform.
LEFT: This disturbing discovery confirms our belief that Twitter and big tech corporations prioritize profits over the protection of children and other vulnerable populations. This is a clear example of the inherent failures in laissez-faire capitalism, which permits the interests of corporations to supersede the well-being of the public. Twitter’s mishandling of these issues perfectly illustrates the need for increased federal regulation on big tech platforms.
INTEL: Our analysis of this article found that Twitter’s current measures to prevent child sexual abuse content from being posted on its platform are insufficient. The appearance of known CSA-related images on a well-known social media platform like Twitter points to a broader issue of inadequately regulated platforms. Our research indicates that Twitter’s automated detection system needs to be improved to prevent such content from being posted on its platform. Furthermore, Twitter must strengthen its partnerships with organizations working to combat child exploitation so that the problem can be effectively addressed.