‘To say report it, well, it seems a little useless’: Evaluating Australians' expectations of online service providers and reducing online child sexual exploitation

Abstract

AbstractOnline service providers (OSPs) provide a range of opportunities for individuals to engage in online child sexual exploitation, including the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. As the failings of opaque content moderation systems have become apparent, a range of states have proposed or implemented new regulatory measures, amidst ongoing debates over the legitimacy of state intervention in online communication. This paper presents the findings of a survey of 482 Australian adults regarding their expectations of technology companies and governments in relation to key issues of online child protection. The results suggest strong demands for greater action by OSPs against sexual exploitation, and for governments to legally enshrine some obligations for OSPs, as well as concern about the privacy of innocent users and about the data handling and cybersecurity of governments and technology companies. These findings indicate that governments and OSPs which are seeking to construct meaningful action against online child sexual exploitation might find significant support among the general public for such measures. Equally, these are very sensitive areas of governance for many. Governments and companies would draw significant assistance from understanding the views of users when navigating these challenging issues and ensuring that their measures are carefully calibrated to their legitimate concerns.