Is this an issue ?

  • This is a fair question -

    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:

    • Predators can identify and track almost any child through open-source data.

    • AI can impersonate trusted adults, friends, or role models convincingly.

    • Vulnerable children (from single-parent homes, unstable environments, etc.) can be targeted with precision.

    • Harmful methods and criminal “best practices” can be shared between offenders using encrypted networks and anonymous platforms.

    • Bad actors can find a sense of community and reinforcement that once did not exist.

    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