In the late ‘80s, child sexual abuse material was all but eliminated. Then the internet came along.
Gaming platforms, social media, live streaming and end-to-end encryption have made it easier than ever for predators to interact with children. As a result, the amount of child sexual abuse online has exploded, increasing 47% in two years. Over 27 million different depictions of children being sexually abused were found online in the last year alone.
In the U.S., tech companies are not required to report it unless it’s reported it to them, and there are no laws requiring them to search for it or remove it quickly, leaving victims in constant fear their images will continue to be seen and shared.
#TakeItDown’s goal was to make people realized how pervasive child sexual abuse material had become and pressure policymakers to mandate tech companies remove it. It distilled a complex and nuanced issue into an emotive, visceral action that a diverse group of NGOs, partners, influencers, the public and politicians could get behind. Technology created this monster – only technology can #TakeItDown.
The monster film drives to childfund.org/takeitdown, where people can learn about the dangers children face online, access resources for parents and survivors, and TAKE ACTION using a unique WRTHY widget that sends pre-written tweets to members of Congress to demand they work together to pass the Stop CSAM Act.
To accompany launch, a documentary series featured experts on the devastating consequences of online sexual abuse of children, the role of tech and the need for new legislation.
Surviving a Monster
Sonya Ryan, CEO and founder of the Carly Ryan Foundation, discusses the dangers children face online after her daughter was murdered by an online predator. (2:36)
Helping Victims of Monsters
Michelle Miller of the National Children’s Alliance reveals how the sharing of child sexual abuse material online retraumatizes survivors every time the image is viewed or shared. (1:43)
In Pursuit of Monsters
Jim Cole, retired Special Agent at Homeland Security Investigations, explains the tech tools that exist but are not being utilized to protect children. (3:09)
Monsters are Real
Alan Scott of Legacy Effects (The Hunger Games, Star Trek, Jurassic Park) and Michelle Miller of the National Children’s Alliance go behind the scenes to explain the inspiration for the design of the monster character. (2:52)
#TakeItDown has been featured on People, CNN, MSNBC and NY1, and it generated over $1 million in donated media across broadcast, digital, print and OOH. Elevated by influencers Margaret Cho, Lucy Hale, Paris Hilton, Jillian Michaels and Wanda Sykes, the monster film has been viewed more than 6.4 million times.
Eight months after the campaign launched, landmark legislation was signed into law. The new legislation (Public Law No. 118-59) requires social media platforms to report crimes involving the trafficking and enticement of children, enables minors to report sexually exploitative content in which they are depicted, modernizes efforts to identify child victims, facilitates law enforcement investigations by extending retention time for information reported, and increases fines for those who knowingly and willingly fail to report it.
More recently, another bill with bipartisan support has been introduced in the Senate to combat the spread of non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes generated by AI. The bill is called the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
Case study.