All posts tagged: exploitation

Australian schools ban Craig Silvey’s books after he pleads guilty to possessing child exploitation material

Australian schools ban Craig Silvey’s books after he pleads guilty to possessing child exploitation material

Published by Daniella Wilson

On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Schools in Western Australia have permanently removed books by Craig Silvey after he pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material. Silvey, 43, entered guilty pleas to a pair of offences related to possessing images of child exploitation on Tuesday, according to the ABC. Prosecutors dropped two other charges, including an allegation that he produced child exploitation material between February and June 2022. Silvey, who has three children, was arrested in January after detectives from the police’s child abuse squad raided his home in Fremantle, near Perth, and seized electronic devices. The court heard the writer had communicated online with child exploitation offenders over several days in January and had refused to provide passwords giving police access to his phone, laptop, and other devices, according to WA Today. He was granted bail on a A$100,000 (£53,348) surety on the condition that he report to police three times a …

Calls for Met Gala boycott after Bezos foots the bill: ‘Brought to you by worker exploitation’

Calls for Met Gala boycott after Bezos foots the bill: ‘Brought to you by worker exploitation’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more A group of guerrilla activists are urging people to boycott this year’s Met Gala over the involvement of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos. At various locations near the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, posters have popped up with the words: “Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE” and “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala.” In November, the Met announced that this year’s biggest night in fashion would be “made possible” by the world’s third-richest man and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who were named as lead sponsors, alongside secondary donors, Condé Nast and Saint Laurent. The role is understood to give the couple influence over everything from invites to the overall presentation of the event. The sponsorship by the tech …

“Big Tech can no longer place our kids in danger”: Meta loses New Mexico child exploitation case

“Big Tech can no longer place our kids in danger”: Meta loses New Mexico child exploitation case

Published by Sam Flores

Three years ago, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta, claiming the parent company of Facebook and Instagram did not do enough to protect children from exploitation on social media platforms. On Tuesday, a jury agreed with Torrez. The jury found Meta liable for misleading its users and ordered the tech giant to pay $375 million in damages for violating consumer protection laws in the state. Torrez called the verdict “a historic victory” in a statement. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees and lied to the public about what they knew,” he said. New Mexico authorities put together their case against the social media giant by having investigators pose as children on Instagram and Facebook. They documented instances of exploitation to show how easy it is for sexual predators to find and abuse children on the platforms. “Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for …

The AI child exploitation crisis is here

The AI child exploitation crisis is here

Published by Sam Flores

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has made it easier than ever for bad actors to create child sexual abuse material, leaving prosecutors and lawmakers struggling to keep up. Despite efforts by tech companies, law enforcement and activists, offenders consistently exploit system loopholes, open-source AI models and ready-made sexual exploitation platforms to generate imagery of both identifiable and nonexistent children, according to experts and law enforcement officials who spoke with NBC News. Between January and September of 2025, NCMEC’s CyberTipline — the official online sexual exploitation tip line in the U.S. — received over a million reports related to generative AI, according to Fallon McNulty, the executive director of the center’s exploited children division. “We often see bad actors at the forefront of leaning into those types of advancements in order to sexually exploit children online,” McNulty said. “The almost indistinguishable nature of the content that is being generated makes it extremely difficult for victim identification efforts.” Law enforcement officials have found that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) created with generative AI can take on …

Australian author Craig Silvey charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material | World News

Australian author Craig Silvey charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material | World News

Published by Daniella Wilson

Australian author Craig Silvey has been charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material. Western Australia Police Force said detectives executed a search warrant at a property on Monday. It is alleged officers found a 43-year-old man actively engaging with other child exploitation offenders online when they arrived. He was arrested, the force said, and his electronic devices were seized. The man was charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material. The force added in a statement that the man would appear at Fremantle Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Australia’s Channel 9 reported that Silvey faced a Perth court on Tuesday afternoon in relation to the charges. He didn’t enter a plea and was granted bail, due to be back in court next month. Silvey is best known for his book Jasper Jones, which sold more than half a million copies, is often assigned for reading in schools, and was made into a film starring Toni Collette in 2017. It also won the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year and was also shortlisted for …