WHEREAS: Child sexual exploitation online (or Child Sexual Abuse Material—CSAM) is an escalating threat to children worldwide exacerbated by the growth in social media platforms and children increasingly accessing the Internet and mobile applications;

INTERPOL reported about 4,000 unique child sex images circulating worldwide in 1995;[1] yet in 2018, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 45.8 million child sex abuse images and videos (from 18.4 million reports)--double the amount from 2017 and a 10,000 percent increase since 2004;[2]

The World Health Organization estimates 200 million children are sexually abused each year,[3] and much of that abuse is online or captured and distributed digitally—where children are re-victimized with each viewing;

1 in 5 children are now sexually solicited online;[4]

The New York Times reports Facebook Messenger was responsible for “nearly 12 million of the 18.4 million worldwide reports of” CSAM in 2018;[5]

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen noted that Facebook (including subsidiaries) accounted for “well over 16 million reports” of CSAM globally in 2018, and “70% of Facebook’s reporting” … would likely not happen “if the company deploys end-to-end encryption across all of its platforms….”[6]

TechCrunch reports that WhatsApp chat groups, “cloaked by the app’s end-to-end encryption,” were spreading CSAM to pedophile rings;[7] 

Facebook’s plans to expand end-to-end encryption will make it unable to track CSAM on social media enabling more offenders to evade detection;[8]

Facebook and its subsidiaries have faced other recent controversies of child sexual exploitation, including:

• Facebook being sued in a Texas court for facilitating sex trafficking of minors;[9]
• Instagram being linked to “rampant sex trafficking, child sexual abuse grooming, as well as adult fetishization of young girls…”, “sexually graphic comments on minor’s photos” and allowing strangers to “direct message minors.”[10]
• Pedophiles “sharing Dropbox links to child porn via Instagram”;[11]

Facebook may face significant regulatory risk if it cannot curb child sexual abuse on existing platforms or on encrypted messaging. Senate Judiciary Committee member Marsha Blackburn stated in a December 2019 hearing that Facebook and peers need to “get your act together, or we will gladly get your act together for you.”[12] Most of the Committee supported that sentiment.[13]

Proponents note Facebook has hired content moderators, has some policies and partnerships, and has implemented some practices and investments in technology to tackle child sex exploitation through its businesses, but proponents believe such activities have not significantly reduced the volume of CSAM or children being sexually exploited.

RESOLVED: Shareholders request that the Board of Directors issue a report by February 2021 assessing the risk of increased sexual exploitation of children as the Company develops and offers additional privacy tools such as end-to-end encryption. The report should address potential adverse impacts to children (18 years and younger) and to the company’s reputation or social license, assess the impact of limits to detection technologies and strategies, and be prepared at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary/confidential information.

[1] https://www.icmec.org/commonwealth-internet-governance-forum-a-joint-report-on-online-child-protection-combatting-child-sexual-abuse-material-on-the-internet/

[2] https://www.facebook.com/wearethorn/photos/a.539537636085793/2387317711307767/?type=3&theater

[3] https://www.undispatch.com/here-is-how-every-country-ranks-on-child-safety/

[4] https://valueforgood.com/publications/AI_Making_Internet_Safer_for_Children.pdf

[5] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/09/28/us/child-sex-abuse.html?action=click&module=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article&region=Footer

[6] https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/deputy-attorney-general-jeffrey-rosen-delivers-remarks-justice-departments-lawful-access

[7] https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/20/whatsapp-pornography/

[8]  https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/child-sex-abuse-rife-on-facebook/news-story/5b8d40edd15541ed955fd9f2ec86cd2b

[9] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/technology/facebook-lawsuit-section-230.html

[10] https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/statement-instagram-is-predators-paradise-says-international-group-of-human-rights-ngos/; https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/senate-hearing-uncovers-sexploitation-in-apps-and-social-media/

[11] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6574015/How-pedophiles-using-Instagram-secret-portal-apparent-network-child-porn.html

[12] https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/10/tech-companies-bipartisan-congress-encryption-080704;

[13] https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/encryption-and-lawful-access-evaluating-benefits-and-risks-to-public-safety-and-privacy