A groundbreaking report exposes a systemic betrayal of survivors of online sexual exploitation and abuse (OSEA) in the United States, highlighting critical legal gaps and widespread inaction by major tech platforms. The research, from Equality Now and the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA), centers survivor experiences to document a landscape where justice is elusive and harm is perpetuated.
The analysis finds that survivors navigate a confusing patchwork of federal and state laws, while U.S.-based technology giants—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft- face negligible legal requirements to ensure user safety or remove non-consensual sexual material effectively. Content takedown processes are described as slow, inconsistent, and often futile, with abusive material circulating indefinitely and causing continuous retraumatization.
Key failures identified include:
- Inadequate Laws: Legal protections are fragmented and outdated, failing to address the cross-border nature of OSEA or adequately cover AI-generated deepfakes involving adults. Coordination between jurisdictions is poor, complicating investigations.
- Tech Platform Negligence: Survivors report immense difficulty reporting abuse, erasure of evidence by content moderation, and dismissive responses from platforms. One survivor, Izzy, was told by Snapchat that her own violation of community guidelines made her responsible for the hack and distribution of her intimate images.
- Criminal Justice System Shortcomings: Law enforcement and legal professionals often lack training in handling digital evidence and OSEA cases, leading to victim-blaming, minimised experiences, and a lack of accountability for perpetrators.
- Profound Survivor Harm: Beyond the initial violation, survivors face ongoing psychological trauma, financial burdens from legal and removal costs, job loss, safety threats, and a relentless fear of content resurfacing.
“US laws have failed to keep pace with the realities of tech-facilitated sexual abuse, and survivors are paying the price,” said Anastasia Law of Equality Now. The report calls for urgent legal and policy reforms to hold tech companies accountable, create cohesive laws governing digital consent, and establish survivor-centred support systems.
Katie Knick from SVPA emphasised, “Sustainable prevention requires accountability and policies informed by the voices and leadership of survivors with lived experience.”
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
