According to a report by Stanford University and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Instagram, a subsidiary of Meta, is the main platform used by child pornography networks to promote and sell content that depicts the sexual abuse of minors.

“Large networks of accounts that appear to be run by minors are openly promoting the sale of child pornography,” researchers at the University of Silicon Valley’s Cyber ​​Policy Center said Wednesday.

“Instagram is currently the most important platform for these networks, thanks to features like content recommendation algorithms and messaging that help sellers connect with buyers,” they added.

And neither pedophiles nor these networks need to be too resourceful.

According to the WSJ, a simple search using keywords like #pedowhore or #preteensex brings up accounts that use those terms to promote content that depicts the sexual abuse of minors.

Often, these profiles “claim to be run by children themselves and use overtly sexualized pseudonyms with words like ‘little k… for you,'” the article said.

The accounts do not explicitly state that they are selling these images, but they do include a menu of options, including the option to request specific sexual acts in certain cases.

Stanford University researchers also noticed suggestions for videos of zoophilia and self-mutilation. “For a fee, children are available for face-to-face visits,” the article continues.

The report highlights the role played by the popular social network’s algorithms: a test account created by the financial daily was “filled with childish sexual content” after clicking on several such accounts, AFP reported. (photo: MA Soliman, Dreamstime.com)