bbc.com
X Verified Accounts Share Links to Child Abuse Material
A BBC investigation reveals that verified accounts on X (formerly Twitter) are sharing links to websites that appear to be selling child sexual abuse material, despite the platform's verification process.
- How effective are X's current verification procedures in preventing the spread of illegal content?
- The investigation found that several verified accounts, which pay a monthly fee for increased visibility, were promoting these illegal activities despite X's claims of verification measures to ensure site integrity.
- What measures has X taken to address the issue of verified accounts promoting child sexual abuse material?
- A BBC investigation reveals that verified users on X (formerly Twitter) are sharing links to websites that appear to be selling child sexual abuse material.
- What further steps can X and other social media platforms take to combat the online distribution of child sexual abuse material?
- While X suspended the accounts once notified, questions remain regarding the effectiveness of their verification process and the platform's response to the issue. The findings raise significant concerns about the safety of children on the platform.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article frames the issue as a failure of X's verification system to protect against the spread of child sexual abuse material. While this is a legitimate concern, it could be balanced with additional information on the challenges of moderating content on a large social media platform and the broader efforts to combat online child sexual abuse material.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the actions of verified accounts promoting child sexual abuse material, but could benefit from including information on the scale of the problem across all X accounts (verified or not) and how this compares to other social media platforms. Additionally, information on X's efforts beyond account suspension to combat this issue would provide a more balanced perspective.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights a failure of a major social media platform to adequately protect children from illegal and harmful content. This undermines efforts towards online safety and justice.