In brief
In a poignant plea, Zora, a victim of child sexual abuse, has reached out to Elon Musk to remove links to her images being traded on his social media platform X. She reveals the ongoing pain caused by the circulation of such material, calling it a complicit act fueling her original abuse. The BBC investigation exposes the troubling trade of such images, tracing connections to individuals in Indonesia and raising concerns about the effectiveness of social media platforms in combating child exploitation.
A victim of child sexual abuse has begged Elon Musk to stop links offering images of her abuse being posted on his social media platform X. Hearing that my abuse - and the abuse of so many others - is still being circulated and commodified here is infuriating, says Zora (not her real name), who lives in the United States and was first abused more than 20 years ago. Every time someone sells or shares child abuse material, they directly fuel the original, horrific abuse. X states it has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material and tackling those who exploit children remains a top priority.The BBC found images of Zora while investigating the global trade of child sex abuse material, estimated to be worth billions of dollars by the Global Child Safety Institute. These materials were offered for sale on an X account, linked to a trader in Jakarta, Indonesia. Zora expressed her outrage that the trade of her images continues, asserting, My body is not a commodity. It never has been, and it never will be. Those who distribute this material are not passive bystanders; they are complicit perpetrators.As our investigation continued, we noted the widespread disregard for victims' rights on social media platforms. Experts like Lloyd Richardson from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection emphasize that these platforms must do more than merely remove accounts; proactive measures are essential. Following Zora's case exemplifies a severe systemic failure in combatting the ongoing exploitation of children online, despite assurances from these platforms to prioritize the removal of abusive content.
