Tech Giants Still Failing to Track Child Abuse Reports, eSafety Data Reveals

Miko Santos

and

Mencari Team

Aug 07, 2025

Transcript

Today is August 7 and here is your Inside Auspol

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Australia's eSafety Commissioner has released damning new data showing that major tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft continue to leave significant gaps in protecting children from online sexual abuse, three years after initial warnings. The latest transparency report reveals that Apple services and Google's YouTube are not even tracking the number of user reports they receive about child sexual abuse, demonstrating a fundamental failure in basic accountability measures.

The report exposes widespread technical deficiencies across platforms, with companies failing to implement readily available detection tools. Key findings include the absence of hash-matching technology to identify known abuse material, lack of livestream monitoring systems, and insufficient tools to detect grooming and sexual extortion. Despite having access to advanced AI capabilities and substantial resources, these platforms continue operating with minimal oversight of serious crimes against children occurring on their services.

Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasized that no other industry would be permitted to operate while enabling such crimes, highlighting the urgent need for continued regulatory pressure. The companies are now required to report their safety measures every six months under legally enforceable notices, with the next assessment due in early 2026. This transparency initiative represents a new global standard for holding digital platforms accountable for child safety failures.

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