Big Tech Fails to Combat Child Abuse Material, eSafety Report Reveals Critical Gaps

• The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation saw an alarming 41% increase in online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) reports in 2024–25, reaching nearly 83,000.
• eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant's latest report highlights progress in detecting known abuse material and reducing moderation times by some companies, but also serious ongoing safety gaps.
• Meta and Google continue to leave video calling services like Messenger and Google Meet unmonitored for live-streamed abuse, despite having detection tools on other platforms.
• Apple and Discord are criticized for failing to implement proactive detection, with Apple relying heavily on user reports instead of automated safety technology.
• The report emphasizes the need for a legally mandated Digital Duty of Care to move from merely recording harms to preventing them through better design and proactive safety measures.