Protecting Children Online
With Data, Not Silence

Meta operates the largest social media platforms in the world. Facebook and Instagram together account for the majority of all CSAM reports to NCMEC — 85% in 2023 and 67% in 2024. While Meta deploys extensive safety technology, its rollout of end-to-end encryption on Messenger led to a dramatic 52% drop in Facebook CSAM reports, raising concerns that exploitation is going undetected rather than declining.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, saw a 33% increase in NCMEC reports in 2024 despite end-to-end encryption limiting proactive scanning. UK data from NSPCC identifies WhatsApp as one of the top three platforms for grooming. Reports are primarily generated from unencrypted metadata and user reports.

TikTok saw a 130% increase in CSAM reports in 2024, the largest jump among major platforms. While TikTok has implemented safety features including private defaults for under-16 accounts, the DOJ sued for COPPA violations and multiple state AGs have taken legal action.

Google operates YouTube, the world's largest video platform, along with Search, Drive, and other services. Google invented and open-sourced the Content Safety API and actively reports CSAM to NCMEC. Its subsidiary YouTube was fined $170M in 2019 for COPPA violations but has since introduced significant child safety features.

Snapchat's disappearing message design has made it a primary tool for sextortion schemes targeting minors. NCMEC reports jumped 65% year-over-year in 2024. While Snap has introduced Family Center and AI-based detection, the ephemeral nature of its platform continues to pose unique risks.

Following Elon Musk's acquisition, X (formerly Twitter) drastically reduced its Trust & Safety team and stopped publishing traditional transparency reports. CSAM reports declined 21% in 2024, raising questions about whether this reflects reduced detection capacity rather than actual improvement.