00:01What we've learned from eSafety today is that in the last six months of 2025 alone,
00:07they actually received more than 2,000 complaints of what's known as extortion,
00:13which is essentially blackmail using illicit or nude images of a victim.
00:19And in particular, men aged 18 to 24 were the most common victims,
00:24though a concerning trend that eSafety have detected in their complaints
00:28is a rise in the number of younger teen men and boys, really, having this happen to them,
00:35which obviously, in addition to this being a horrible scam,
00:39it makes it an issue of child sexual abuse as well.
00:43Now, eSafety has talked about the fact they actually think this is underreported
00:48and they're encouraging people who maybe have been victims of this to disclose to eSafety.
00:53They're really trying to get the message out that they actually have quite a good track record
00:58of being able to get this kind of material taken down if you are being blackmailed
01:03to essentially pay money to prevent it from being shared,
01:05that if you do come forward, usually eSafety can help you.
01:09The eSafety commissioner, though, Julie Inman Grant,
01:12really saving her criticism for the platforms themselves,
01:15who she says are just not doing enough to detect
01:19when this kind of thing is going on on their platforms.
01:21And that's despite, as she explains here, the fact that eSafety is actually offering advice
01:26and trying to help these platforms to detect common language
01:29and common images used in these scams.
01:32We've sent them scripts that we typically see, you know,
01:36I'm going to ruin your life, have a sexy chat.
01:39They could use a little language analysis technology.
01:42They don't have appropriate reporting pathways.
01:45They're just not hardening the platforms enough.
01:48They're making children very vulnerable.
01:51And it's all about maintaining profit.
01:53The third of what is going to be a series of four reports
01:56where all of the major platforms like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta,
02:02which obviously owns Instagram and Facebook, there's TikTok, Snapchat,
02:05all of the main sort of platforms that obviously people communicate online,
02:09they've been required on a six-monthly basis to inform eSafety
02:13what steps they're taking to address the spread
02:16and use of child abuse material on their platforms.
02:20And what's been found in this latest report
02:22is that most of those platforms in the main
02:24are still not using the detection tools that are widely available,
02:29particularly in relation to live streaming of child sexual abuse.
02:33Some platforms are using it in some parts,
02:35but not other parts of their platform.
02:37And there's also issues with the detection of new abuse material,
02:42so material that's previously been flagged
02:44as tending to be found a bit more and taken down faster.
02:47But essentially, the eSafety Commission really worried about the fact
02:50that these are some of the most innovative companies in the world,
02:54but they don't seem to be turning that focus and attention
02:57on this really horrific crime.
02:58And we've had Communications Minister Annika Wells out today
03:03highlighting that this is really not acceptable
03:06and that government is prepared to throw the book
03:09at these big tech companies if they don't lift their game.
03:13This is some of the most heinous content and conduct that we see online.
03:18And yet, the report has found that big tech is simply not doing enough.
03:23They have the tools, they have the resources,
03:26and yet they are choosing not to use them with full effect.
03:29But my message for big tech is this.
03:32There are no excuses here.
03:35Big tech is required under Australian law
03:37to protect Australians online from illegal material
03:40or face fines of up to $54.6 million.
03:44So Minister Wells there really wrapped up
03:47by putting pressure on the Coalition
03:49to get the opposition to support the government's proposal
03:51to strengthen some of the laws that it's put forward
03:54in relation to restricting underage use of social media,
03:57saying that, you know, when Parliament returns in August,
04:01she expects to have that support.
04:02Do it.
04:03Do it.
04:03Do it.
04:04Do it.
04:05Do it.
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