The Briefing Violent clashes at Herzog protests + Pt 1: The platforms live-streaming abuse
Feb 9, 2026
Joel Scanlan, associate professor and cybersecurity expert who co-leads the CSAM Deterrence Centre, explains how mainstream platforms hide and enable child sexual abuse material. He discusses how livestreams and video calls are used for grooming and sextortion. He outlines law enforcement responses and why platforms resist safety tools, plus calls for stronger regulation and a duty of care.
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Abuse Hides In Plain Sight On Mainstream Platforms
- Child sexual abuse material often appears first on mainstream platforms, not the dark web.
- Over 50% of offenders say their first exposure was via feeds or messages on mainstream sites.
AFP Received Around 80,000 CSAM Reports
- Joel Scanlan notes the AFP received about 80,000 CSAM reports last financial year, mostly on mainstream platforms.
- He cites offender surveys showing many first encountered abuse material accidentally in feeds or messages.
Reporting Rates Don’t Equal Prevalence
- Meta reports the most CSAM because it actively finds and reports material.
- Some platforms report very little despite being widely used, so reporting rates don't reflect true prevalence.