Is this an issue ?

and rather than relying on statistics alone, I think the most honest way to answer it is with a logical and philosophical approach. Reliable data in this area is extremely hard to obtain, interpret, and compare. What is easier to see is the pattern.

Bad actors have always existed.

History is full of examples: organized genocide, slavery, war crimes, medical atrocities, domestic abusers, and individuals who cause harm in private. Evil operates at every scale of humanity.

What has changed is the environment in which harm can occur.

With the rise of the internet — and now the explosion of AI — individuals who might have harmful intentions suddenly have tools, reach, anonymity, and efficiency that were simply impossible in the pre-digital era.

Today:

As uncomfortable as this is to acknowledge, people with harmful instincts now have more resources than ever before, while platforms and tech companies often have minimal incentive to meaningfully intervene. It is more likely that abuse is detected after it occurs rather than prevented in the first place.

I believe in free speech, a free market, and minimal government interference — this is not a political site. But when technological advancement directly increases the capacity for harm against children, basic guardrails are necessary.

Whether the problem is “statistically worse” right now is debatable. But logically — unless addressed — child exploitation will grow dramatically over the coming decades. AI will accelerate this. And without advancements in policy, detection, technology, and prevention, the digital world will become an increasingly dangerous place for the most vulnerable people in it.

This site exists because retrospective, reactive approach to child exploitation is not sufficient

I think that’s a very interesting question and rather than taking a statistical / numerical approach [as honestly stats in this area are hard to find, interpret, and struggle from report ability] I’d prefer to take a philosophical and logical approach

Bad actors have always existed - it doesn’t take a historian to see - from organized mass genocide and slavery to inhuman crimes and horrors like Unit 737 and Mengele, to domestic bad actors and casual abuse - evil exists on a variety of scales in all of our hearts

However, with the rise of the internet, social media, and now AI… individuals who may have bad intentions or desires can now act on them in ways that were completely impossible pre digital era. It doesn’t take a creative mind to list some new avenues : predators can now ID any child they want to exploit, and use a variety of tools - from AI impersonating trusted adults and friends / idols / hero’s along with other avenues like using public data and information to specifically target vulnerable children [non nuclear families, only child, etc]. In addition they can spread harmful content and exploitation techniques to other bad actors using modern networking and encryption systems - giving bad actors a sense of community they do not deserve

As graphic and uncomfortable as it sounds - unfortunately anyone with these instincts has more resources now than ever before - and tech companies like Meta and Google have little to no incentive to moderate and prevent harm (they would rather eat the lawsuit and pay the price of admission). As a result it will be more likely that harm is caused and perpetrators are caught after the fact rather than preventable harm being prevented

I believe in free speech and the free market and I’m generally a libertarian [this is not a political page] however rules and restrictions are important when the advancement of technology and industry can lead to direct harm of children

Whether this is an issue now is up for statistical debate, however unchecked I believe child exploitation will grow over the next decades and basic guard rails and advancement in policy, tech, detection, and prevention are necessary to protect the digital world for everyone.