Current:Home > MyDHS announces new campaign to combat "unimaginable horror" of child exploitation and abuse online -Capitatum
DHS announces new campaign to combat "unimaginable horror" of child exploitation and abuse online
View
Date:2025-04-13 07:31:24
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Wednesday a public awareness campaign to address online child exploitation and abuse that he called an "unimaginable horror."
"We just have to raise awareness and teach children, and everyone around them, how to recognize the predators, when they are about to be victimized, how to protect themselves and what to do," Mayorkas said on "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday.
The new campaign, Know2Protect, works with partners from the public and private sector to educate parents and their children on how to combat and report exploitation, along with how to support victims amid rising rates of abuse in recent years.
"Prevention is just the first line, but we also have to make sure that if something occurs, we remediate," Mayorkas said. "Those children come forward, the parents come forward, and we can address it, not only to help the victim, but also to hold the perpetrators accountable."
Among the agency's partners are tech giants including Google and Meta, which will provide users with information about the campaign on their platforms, along with sporting league partners like NASCAR and the NFL and other organizations like the Boy Scouts of America. DHS is also partnering with various law enforcement officials to continue to develop relevant training programs for law enforcement.
Meta's Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis said on "CBS Mornings" that while the tech company takes a number of measures to prevent the abuse online, they hope to work with parents and partners to help protect kids further.
"We're not trying to pass the buck to parents, but we all need to work together — whether that's DHS, whether it's us, whether it's parents to help protect kids online."
With the announcement, DHS also released resources for parents like an internet safety checklist and tips for protecting kids and teens online, including advice on password protections, privacy settings and location services.
The campaign, which marks the federal government's first prevention and awareness campaign to address online child sexual exploitation, comes amid a rise in reports of sexual exploitation of children in recent years. Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported more than 36 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation, up 12% from the previous year. The Biden administration and lawmakers in Congress have sought to implement safeguards for children in an increasingly online world with rapid technological advancements.
During a fiery Senate hearing in January, leaders of prominent social media companies were reprimanded by lawmakers for not doing enough to protect kids from being sexually exploited online, as members of Congress have worked largely unsuccessfully to approve legislation in recent years to regulate social media companies.
Kaia HubbardKaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.
TwitterveryGood! (24261)
Related
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Louisville’s Super-Polluting Chemical Plant Emits Not One, But Two Potent Greenhouse Gases
- U.S. Wind Power Is ‘Going All Out’ with Bigger Tech, Falling Prices, Reports Show
- Activists sue Harvard over legacy admissions after affirmative action ruling
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, Robert De Niro's grandson, dies at age 19
- Massachusetts Raises the Bar (Just a Bit) on Climate Ambition
- Proof Tom Holland Is Marveling Over Photos of Girlfriend Zendaya Online
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Man fishing with his son drowns after rescuing 2 other children swimming at Pennsylvania state park
Ranking
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Explosive devices detonated, Molotov cocktail thrown at Washington, D.C., businesses
- Lady Gaga Will Give You a Million Reasons to Love Her Makeup-Free Selfies
- Beyoncé Handles Minor Wardrobe Malfunction With Ease During Renaissance Show
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- At least 2 dead, 28 wounded in mass shooting at Baltimore block party, police say
- Desperation Grows in Puerto Rico’s Poor Communities Without Water or Power
- Sarah-Jade Bleau Shares the One Long-Lasting Lipstick That Everyone Needs in Their Bag
Recommendation
New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
Biden Takes Aim at Reducing Emissions of Super-Polluting Methane Gas, With or Without the Republicans
How Georgia Became a Top 10 Solar State, With Lawmakers Barely Lifting a Finger
U.S. Suspends More Oil and Gas Leases Over What Could Be a Widespread Problem
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Woman dead, 9 injured after fireworks explosion at home in Michigan
South Dakota Backs Off Harsh New Protest Law and ‘Riot-Boosting’ Penalties
The Ultimatum: Queer Love Relationship Status Check: Who's Still Together?