Safer Internet Day: The need for regulation is more pressing than ever

With online child sexual exploitation on the rise, we need companies to take responsibility.

On 11th February 2025, governments, civil society organisations, children and youth will be celebrating the 21st edition of the Safer Internet Day (SID). The SID has become a wonderful opportunity to showcase and celebrate the efforts to promote the rights of children to learn, connect and express themselves online while being protected from harm. However, following the rolling of End-to-End Encryption on Messenger in December 2023 and the recent announcements by Meta and other major players of the Internet and Digital Tech industry to cut down investments to promote safety across their products, the 2025 edition has a bitter taste. This trend to reduce human and technological resources to protect users creates additional risks of online sexual exploitation (OSEC).