Child Sex Abuse Victim Appeals to Elon Musk to Remove Harmful Content

Zora, not her real name, was first abused over two decades ago by a family member in the United States. The images of her abuse, which have fallen into the hands of a global network of traders, are being sold on platforms like X. Despite X's stated policy of zero tolerance towards child sexual abuse material, the challenge of eradicating this content remains colossal. Last year, the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 20 million reports concerning such material from tech companies.

The BBC's investigation revealed that these images are being promoted openly on X, and the trade appears to be coordinated by a trader based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The trader, managing multiple accounts, offered a 'VIP package' of abusive content for sale. The platform's ability to quickly remove offending accounts is thwarted by the ease with which new ones can be created.

The BBC collaborated with the hacktivist group Anonymous to uncover these activities. Anonymous alerted the BBC to an account on X that was linked to a Telegram account advertising child sexual abuse material. Despite efforts to report and remove these profiles, they reappear under new guises, showcasing the need for more robust interventions by the platform.

During the investigation, a BBC producer traced the trader to an address in Jakarta. The individual at the location denied involvement, though the bank accounts linked to the illicit trade were registered under his name. This method of using anonymous or seemingly legitimate identities to facilitate such trades is a common tactic among offenders.

As Zora's images continue to be sold and shared, the victim's message to Elon Musk is clear: 'If you would act to protect your own children, I beg you to do the same for the rest of us.' The call to action underscores the urgent need for tech giants to enhance their efforts in combating the proliferation of child sexual abuse material.