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• 2 Crore Children Victims: Nearly 2 crore children around the world have faced some form of online sexual exploitation in the past year, according to a UNICEF report.
• Threats from acquaintances: In more than half of the cases of online abuse, children were threatened by acquaintances such as friends, relatives or online partners.
• New threat from AI: Statistics from 9 countries show that nearly 1.1 million children have seen AI-generated pornographic or offensive content.

The rapid spread of the internet and social media around the world has created a frightening and alarming picture of child safety. According to a recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), nearly 20 million children worldwide have experienced some form of online sexual exploitation and abuse in the past year. According to statistics released by UNICEF, approximately 1.5 crore children between the ages of 12 and 17 have been exposed to unwanted and pornographic material. Meanwhile, more than 90 million children have been pressured to participate in online sexual conversations. The organization warns that the actual figure could be much higher.

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One victim in five children

According to a UNICEF report, about 60 percent of abuse and exploitation on online platforms takes place on social media apps (such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok). Additionally, 14 percent of the cases occurred through online gaming apps. Research has found that 1 in 5 children (over 21%) between the ages of 12 and 17 in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe have experienced online sexual harassment at least once. (Photo Courtesy – AI Created)

Threats from loved ones rather than strangers

What is most striking about the report is that in more than half (over 50%) of the abuse cases, the victims were victimized by someone they already knew. This included friends, relatives or online partners. In 38 percent of cases, children were victims of abuse by a stranger for the first time.

A survey of 21,000 children in 21 countries

The report is based on a study of 21,000 Internet users (children) from 21 countries, including Brazil, Pakistan, Kenya, Serbia and other Eastern European and Asian countries, between 2020 and 2025. However, India was not included in this survey.

Explanation of meta

Commenting on the matter, a spokesperson for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, said the survey was based on data from years when security features such as automatic private accounts for teenagers and blocking of messages from unknown adults were not fully implemented. The company has now implemented several strict measures to protect children.

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AI poses a new threat

UNICEF has also expressed serious concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence. According to an analysis of data collected from 9 countries, approximately 1.1 million children have admitted to viewing AI-generated pornographic or offensive images and videos. This has significantly increased the level of mental stress and anxiety among children.

(Disclaimer: This is an automated news feed of Navarashtra newspaper. It is not edited by Tezzbuzz.com staff.)