• Australia's eSafety Commissioner criticizes YouTube and others for inaction on child abuse material.
• YouTube is denied an exemption from Australia's social media ban for teenagers.
• Reports indicate significant safety gaps in handling child exploitation materials.
• Meta and Google assert they take proactive measures against abuse content.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner recently released a report stating that major social media platforms, particularly YouTube, are “turning a blind eye” to the presence of online child sex abuse material. The commissioner emphasized that despite multiple inquiries, YouTube and Apple have been unresponsive regarding the tracking of user reports related to such abuse, raising concerns about their commitment to child safety. “When left to their own devices, these companies aren’t prioritising the protection of children," stated eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. She highlighted the Australian government's decision to include YouTube in a world-first social media ban for teenagers, a move that emphasizes the seriousness of the situation, according to Reuters, Bangkok Post, and The Jakarta Post.

The eSafety report identified a range of “safety deficiencies” in the operations of major platforms, noting failures to effectively detect and prevent livestreaming of illegal material and inadequate reporting mechanisms for user complaints. Platforms did not consistently utilize “hash-matching” technology across their services to identify and remove child sexual abuse images. Google's previous assertions that they employ various safety measures, including such technology, are called into question by the findings, indicating a lack of transparency and accountability, according to Reuters, Bangkok Post, and The Jakarta Post.

While Google maintains that its systems have successfully removed over 99% of abuse content before it can be flagged or viewed, the regulator argues that such metrics focus too narrowly on reporting rather than on the overall safety performance of the platform. Meta, which owns platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, also faced scrutiny but has reiterated its policies that prohibit graphic content. However, according to eSafety, the lack of consistent enforcement and oversight creates an environment where child exploitation can still occur, as noted by Reuters, Bangkok Post, and The Jakarta Post.

In response to the inquiry, Inman Grant stated that platforms like Apple and YouTube failed to provide information about the number of abuse reports they received, as well as details regarding their trust and safety personnel. This lack of responsiveness raises questions about the seriousness with which these companies approach child safety, underscoring the need for regulatory intervention to ensure protection against such heinous crimes, according to Reuters, Bangkok Post, and The Jakarta Post.