Algorithms Blamed for Accidental Exposure of Minors to Harmful Online Porn

According to a recent report, the proportion of children saying they have seen pornography online has risen significantly in the past two years. The research, conducted by the Children's Commissioner's office, found that most children are likely to have accidentally stumbled upon this content rather than actively seeking it out.

The Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, described the nature of the pornography that young people are being exposed to as "violent, extreme and degrading," often involving illegal content. She stated that the findings must be seen as a "snapshot of what rock bottom looks like" when it comes to the harmful material being presented to minors.

The report, which surveyed 1,020 people aged 16 to 21, revealed that more than half of respondents had seen pornography involving strangulation, while 44% had seen a depiction of rape. Furthermore, the research suggested that children were on average 13 years old when they first saw pornography, with more than a quarter reporting they were as young as 11, and some as young as 6 or younger.

The Children's Commissioner emphasized that the problem is largely due to the design of online platforms, algorithms, and recommendation systems that put this harmful content in front of children who never sought it out. She stated that the new online safety measures coming into effect provide a real opportunity to make children's safety online a top priority for policymakers, tech giants, and smaller developers.