Warning over lockdown being 'perfect storm' for criminals to abuse children online

The leading children's' charity has said that young people who are out of school and have had exams cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak will be using the internet more than before in order to keep in touch with friends.

But their heavy online presence may create a "perfect storm" for criminals willing to take advantage of the crisis.

Social media platforms are relying more heavily on artificial intelligence as human moderators adjust to home working, although many crimes may slip under the net and parents have been warned to be vigilant.

Children may be exploited online by sexual offenders as well as county lines drugs criminals who use social media to groom children for their benefit.

Facebook, which uses third party contractors to check content, has tasked full-time employees with more sensitive issues such as child exploitation.

But boss Mark Zuckerberg recently admitted in a press call that efforts against other less extreme categories where the severity posses no imminent physical risks for people "may be a little less effective in the near-term".

Meanwhile, Twitter has said increased use of automation could result in mistakes, though it is looking "for opportunities to build in human review checks where they will be most impactful".

However, there is growing concern among police forces over a "significant rise in child grooming".

There have been high-profile cases of child grooming gangs in both West and South Yorkshire over recent years, while a West Yorkshire Police superintendent recently told The Yorkshire Post that Instagram and Snapchat were the most common platforms used by drugs criminals to recruit young people into gangs.

Supt Damon Solley, Lead for the force's Operation Jemlock, said: "We are fully aware that social media does play a big part of serious crime. It is the main way children communicate with each other and decide what to do on a daily basis.

"It is mainly Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat that are used by criminals to target young people, but obviously it differs depending on age groups.

"We can't prohibit young people from using it, and it does have its benefits too."

North Yorkshire Police, meanwhile, has issued guidance to adults who may be concerned about their own internet activity during lockdown.

The force is working with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation aimed at talking with potential sex offenders to prevent crimes before they happen.

The Stop It Now! anonymous helpline is used for anyone worried about their own, or a relative or friend's online activity.

David Jamieson, who is West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, said his force was seeing a large rise in online child grooming.

He said he was "particularly worried about a higher prevalence of online grooming with young people spending more time on the internet".

"I have asked the police to work very closely with the National Crime Agency to tackle this issue," he added.

"I would also urge parents to keep a close eye on their children to ensure they are safe online and don't become victims of predators."

The NSPCC said today (Thursday) that an over-reliance on AI could hinder swift action required by humans when tackling child abuse and grooming, particularly at a time when children have more access to the internet than usual while schools are closed.

"The impact of the coronavirus lockdown has increased online risks and brewed a perfect storm for offenders to abuse children," said Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the charity.

"The public health emergency is creating major challenges across society, and like all of us tech firms must adapt.

"It's vital they set out how they are prioritising protecting children by identifying and disrupting offenders with fewer moderation resources available."