IPIE Launches New Panel to Combat Child Exploitation on Social Media

October 2024

The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) has announced the formation of the Scientific Panel on Child Protection and Social Media to tackle the alarming rise of child exploitation online. Chaired by Dr. Selcan Kaynak, the panel will tackle how social media platforms are used to facilitate child sexual exploitation and the spread of child sexual abuse material.

“Globally, millions of children are exposed to predators who exploit the anonymity and reach of social media,” said Dr. Kaynak. “This is not just about research—this is about saving lives from unprecedented harm. Our panel will expose where the current systems fall short and push for urgent reforms.”

The IPIE is the only scientific, systemic, and global response to address the health of the information environment. It will support the panel as it conducts a comprehensive investigation into how social media facilitates child sexual exploitation. The panel’s work will offer practical, evidence-based solutions for policymakers, tech companies and the concerned public. In her capacity as chair of the panel, Dr. Kaynak will attend the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, in Bogota, Colombia, from 7 to 8 November 2024.

“The exploitation of children online is a complex, global crisis that transcends borders and impacts the most vulnerable among us,” said Professor Phil Howard, co-founder and President of the IPIE. “Social media platforms serve as virtual marketplaces where traffickers and exploiters can recruit, groom, and exploit victims, often with anonymity and impunity.”

Dr. Selcan Kaynak is an expert renowned for her interdisciplinary approach, covering digital infrastructure, policy and psychology. With extensive experience in mental health, social justice, and global policy, Dr. Kaynak has led groundbreaking research into how technology impacts vulnerable populations.

“We cannot afford to wait any longer,” said Dr. Kaynak. “Digital media and AI are weaponized to target and exploit children. The scale of child exploitation is staggering, and current measures fall short. This panel will challenge the status quo to generate feasible solutions for policymakers and the tech sector, based on rigorous research and a clear understanding of the global landscape.”

About the Panel

The panel will produce two reports:

• A Scientific Synthesis Report examining social media’s role in child exploitation and trafficking.
• A Summary for Policymakers, offering targeted recommendations to prevent child sexual exploitation and limit the circulation of child sexual abuse material across digital platforms.

Key Goals:

• Conduct a systematic review of how social media platforms enable child exploitation.
• Identify gaps in current research and propose interventions that can dismantle the infrastructure of exploitation.
• Work closely with policy makers, civil society, and tech firms to drive meaningful changes.

ENDS

‍

For more information please contact Kathryn Chapman, Communications, Kathryn.Chapman@IPIE.info or Press@IPIE.info.

About the IPIE

The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) is an independent and global science organization committed to providing the most actionable scientific knowledge about threats to the world’s information environment. Based in Switzerland, the mission of the IPIE is to provide policymakers, industry, and civil society with independent scientific assessments on the global information environment by organizing, evaluating, and elevating research, with the broad aim of improving the global information environment. Hundreds of researchers from around the world contribute to the IPIE’s reports.