Today's bill in Canberra could cost social media companies a whole lot of money

 

Government closes in on $100m social media fines

Shane Wright

September 6, 2026 — 10:00pm

Social media companies could be slugged with fines of more than $100 million if they fail to do more to keep under-16s off their sites under an Albanese government bill set to go before the Senate on Tuesday.

The fines are part of a push to give more power to eSafety Commission chief Julie Inman Grant to target sites such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for not lifting efforts to abide by Australia’s ban on young people accessing social media.

Communications Minister Anika Wells is urging all sides of politics to fast-track the government’s heavy fines on social media companies. Dominic Lorrimer

It forms a key part of a broader assault on social media platforms with draft laws that would force companies to take action that would prevent the platforming and sharing of harmful content, including illegal pornography, on their sites.

At the start of July, the government introduced to parliament an urgent bill it said would boost the eSafety Commission’s information gathering powers. That bill was sent to a Senate committee that, despite misgivings by non-government members, ticked off its approval.

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That bill, which includes fines of $109.2 million for breaching new laws to prevent under-16s from accessing social media sites, will go to the Senate on Tuesday.

The government has come under fire over the large number of young people still on social media sites, despite its mandating of age verification.

But Communications Minister Anika Wells said more than five million under-16s accounts had been removed. She urged the upper house to back the bill as quickly as possible.

“Australian kids and parents needed these laws eight weeks ago, but the Coalition and Greens teamed up to send our four-page bill to an eight-week inquiry,” she said.

“The Coalition and the Greens ignored the pleas of parents who want social media companies held to account for harming Australian kids.

“We have to put politics to the side and pass this bill this week, so the eSafety Commissioner can hold social media companies accountable.”

The large fines at the heart of the under-16 ban will form part of the so-called “digital duty of care” reforms that the government is expected to release for public comment later this week.

The proposed legislation has the potential to split the Coalition between those who want to protect free speech and those who believe some social media outlets are deliberately causing harm among young people.

Liberal leader Angus Taylor on Sunday said while he had not seen the draft laws, he was worried about an “attempt by government to censor social media”.

He was more focused on the laws going to the Senate this week, noting the continued use by under-16s of social media.

“It’s not working. So then going off and starting off on some other thing, which risks being censorship of the internet, enormous ministerial discretion around censorship on the internet … If that’s what’s being proposed, we’re sceptical,” he told News24.

Opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson expressed deep reservations about the proposal and how it would give more powers to the government to regulate Australians’ freedom of expression.

“While we will consider the government’s exposure draft, the proposal for new ministerial powers to make regulations governing categories of online harms without parliamentary oversight is a serious threat to free speech,” she said.

“While tougher action is required to combat serious online harms and empower Australians to take greater control over what they see online, the digital duty of care, as currently proposed, appears to be a dangerous step in the wrong direction.

But opposition home affairs spokesman Jonathan Duniam said there might be merit in users not being force-fed an algorithm for their social media.

“Provided the detail stacks up and it doesn’t unnecessarily impede on people’s rights and freedoms, empowering individuals to make a choice about what they consume is absolutely where we should be at,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program.

“Empowering parents to do the same for those that are in their custody, their kids, should absolutely be something we consider.”

Approaching Sodom > John Calhoun's fascinating study in sociology - more pertinent today than ever

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Abir Hossain

22 December 2022  · 

The "Universe 25" experiment is one of the most terrifying experiments in the history of science, which, through the behavior of a colony of mice, is an attempt by scientists to explain human societies. The idea of ​​"Universe 25" Came from the American scientist John Calhoun, who created an "ideal world" in which hundreds of mice would live and reproduce. More specifically, Calhoun built the so-called "Paradise of Mice", a specially designed space where rodents had an abundance of food and water, as well as a large living space. In the beginning, he placed four pairs of mice that in a short time began to reproduce, resulting in their population growing rapidly. However, after 315 days their reproduction began to decrease significantly. When the number of rodents reached 600, a hierarchy was formed between them and then the so-called "wretches" appeared. The larger rodents began to attack the group, with the result that many males begin to "collapse" psychologically. As a result, the females did not protect themselves and in turn became aggressive towards their young. As time went on, the females showed more and more aggressive behavior, isolation elements and lack of reproductive mood. There was a low birth rate and, at the same time, an increase in mortality in younger rodents. Then, a new class of male rodents appeared, the so-called "beautiful mice". They refused to mate with the females or to "fight" for their space. All they cared about was food and sleep. At one point, "beautiful males" and "isolated females" made up the majority of the population.

 According to Calhoun, the death phase consisted of two stages: the "first death" and "second death." The former was characterized by the loss of purpose in life beyond mere existence — no desire to mate, raise young or establish a role within society. As time went on, juvenile mortality reached 100% and reproduction reached zero. Among the endangered mice, homosexuality was observed and, at the same time, cannibalism increased, despite the fact that there was plenty of food. Two years after the start of the experiment, the last baby of the colony was born. By 1973, he had killed the last mouse in the Universe 25. John Calhoun repeated the same experiment 25 more times, and each time the result was the same.

Calhoun's scientific work has been used as a model for interpreting social collapse, and his research serves as a focal point for the study of urban sociology. 

We are currently witnessing direct parallels in today’s society...weak, feminized men with little to no skills and no protection instincts, and overly agitated and aggressive females with no maternal instincts.

This is a fascinating study in sociology. It speaks, however, to a socialist society as opposed to one where you have to work for a living. In the Cold War era, this may have been part of his objective. Calhoun makes no reference to God, in his conclusions, from the little I have read. He, nevertheless, was God to the rodents in his experiments.

Nevertheless, there are many parallels to modern society which, I think, would have flabbergasted Calhoun had he lived long enough. The Roe v Wade decision (the first one) by the US Supreme Court; the rise of feminism in western cultures; the feminism of men; the spectacular rise in child sexual abuse, globally; the low birth rates in western countries making them very vulnerable to the high birthrates among Islamic migrants. 

The high birthrates in Islam speaks to their obedience to the Quran. The low birthrates in western countries speaks to their rejection of Biblical encouragement. Here is the clear difference between societies that recognize God, even a false god, to societies that simply reject God. Western societies have already entered Calhoun's 'first death', while Islam continues to grow and expand.

Do you see any signs of the Nordic Paradox behaviour, where the most feminist, socialist countries in the world have exceedingly high rates of spousal abuse?

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Canada's 1st Nations Children Finally to be Compensated - But Will it Help?

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Canada agrees to ‘historic reparations’ for 200,000 indigenous children

Billions of dollars will be paid in compensation to the victims of ‘discriminatory’

First Nations child welfare system

A memorial in British Columbia for indigenous people subject to Canada’s residential School system. September 30, 2021. © Getty Images / Alex Ratson

The Canadian government has reached a “milestone” $31-billion settlement to compensate indigenous children and families harmed by the “discriminatory underfunding” of the child welfare system on First Nations reservations.

Two in-principle agreements – relating to compensation for more than 200,000 affected children dating back to 1991, and to future reform of the system – represent the “largest settlement in Canadian history,” Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said on Tuesday.

Marc Miller is gaining a reputation for getting things done. As such, he stands out among Liberal Ministers.

Noting that “historic injustices require historic reparations,” Miller said that “no amount of money can reverse the harms experienced” and described the deals as an acknowledgement that successive governments had failed indigenous children.

Once finalized, the settlement will conclude a long-running legal battle, which began in 2007 with a complaint by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT). In 2016, the tribunal ruled that Ottawa had underfunded services for First Nations children relative to those for non-indigenous children.

The Canadian government appealed the CHRT verdict, which ordered it to pay compensation worth Can$40,000 (US$31,455) to every indigenous child who had been removed from their family through the system or been forced to leave their home.

After losing that appeal last year, the government entered formal negotiations with indigenous groups instead of taking the matter to the Supreme Court. The discussions concluded on New Year’s Eve. Justice Minister David Lametti said the government would withdraw its appeals once the agreements are finalized.

Describing the deal as “words on paper,” Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, told Reuters that the Can$20 billion in funds earmarked for system reform may not tackle deep-rooted problems.

Deep-rooted is right. The roots go back well over 100 years to the residential school disgrace. Child abuse and child sexual abuse emerged from the inhumane treatment of 1st Nations people for over 100 years and continues today through generational abuse. 

I don't have the details of how this payment will work, but I have a lot of questions. I really hope it does work and brings closure to abused children and adults. However, Trudeau throws money around like there is no end to it. His father did the same and nearly bankrupted Canada. Justin, will certainly complete his father's failure. Where will the victims of child abuse stand when Canada goes under, and it will.

Having lived around indigenous people for many years, and having experience in fostering abused children, I know that in some 1st Nations communities there are more abused and neglected children than there are families who can foster those children. Social workers weren't always wrong in moving aboriginal children into homes of white families, not by a long shot. Some would probably not be alive otherwise.

How does the government improve the ability of parents and grandparents to be good child-carers when they have been abused themselves? I don't know the answer to that question. Perhaps 1st Nations people know the answer, but something needs to be done here or the government is just throwing money into the wind.

“I judge victory when I can walk into a community and a child is able to say to me, ‘My life is better than it was yesterday.’ Nothing in these words actually changes children’s lives until it’s implemented,” Blackstock said.

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Sex Trafficked at 12, Survivor Fights to Save Others From Same Fate

One Survivor's Story of Overcoming

Beginning at age 12, Barbara was trafficked on the streets of Washington, D.C., and New York City for over a decade. Since escaping, she’s become a fierce advocate for other women and girls who face the daily horrors she did.

By Megan Yoderq 

WASHINGTON — Editor’s note: This story discusses the trafficking of children and might be upsetting for some people. Reader discretion is advised.

Barbara Amaya, a survivor of sex trafficking, stands at the intersection where she was forced to sell her body as a child. (TEGNA)

As Barbara Amaya walks through an urban park in downtown Washington, D.C., she recollects how the area has changed in the past decades.

The grass, now teeming with rowdy squirrels and twittering birds, used to be littered with hypodermic needles.

Professionals in suits and ties cross streets that would fill up with prostitutes after sundown.

The stretch of 14th Street NW near Franklin Square, a few blocks from the White House, was a hot spot for prostitution and criminal activity in the 1980s. Today, most of the seedier establishments have been replaced with office spaces and cafes.

Reflecting on the area’s transformation brings up painful memories for Barbara. Because just as the surrounding streets have changed in the past decades, so has she.

Trauma at a young age

Barbara was born in Fairfax, Va., an affluent Washington suburb. On the outside, her neighborhood was picturesque. But dangers lurked behind closed doors.

“I was experiencing things there that no child should ever experience,” she said.

At age 12, she ran away from home for the first time to escape repeated sexual abuse. A cycle began: she would run away, be caught by authorities, sent to foster care or a juvenile center, and escape again. At times, she said, her parents stopped looking for her.

During one of her escapes, she was approached by a young woman offering assistance. The woman took Barbara, vulnerable and alone, back to an apartment to meet a man she introduced as her boyfriend. Barbara would later come to understand that the man was trafficking the woman.

Years of exploitation

Over time, the two strangers began training Barbara for prostitution. She said they gave her pills every day she suspects were sedatives.

After years of abuse at home, Barbara said she knew her “body was turning into a commodity.”

“Part of their work there was already done,” she said.

The woman would take Barbara to buyers and collect money.

“I was a child and I didn’t really care about the money. I cared about the attention,” Barbara said. She was still only 12 years old.

One day, something different happened. In the same busy park she would revisit years later, they handed her off to a strange man and left her for good. The man took her to New York City where he positioned himself as her protector, a common strategy used by traffickers, Barbara said.

“They’re hunters and they’re predators and they know how to single out vulnerable people, and children are vulnerable because they’re children,” she said.

In New York, she became part of the criminal underworld for more than a decade. She learned how to survive on the streets and avoid being arrested. Another young woman offered Barbara heroin, which numbed the physical and emotional pain she endured. She racked up a lengthy criminal record, but still refused to “break the programming” of her trafficker and ask for help.

Once, when faced with time in the notorious Rikers Island prison, she did try to ask law enforcement for assistance. She was told her parents would be coming to pick her up. Instead, her trafficker was waiting to collect her.

Her body was sold for years before she sought help at a drug rehab facility.

“I knew I was going to die. And I just didn’t want to die,” Barbara said.

A woman at the front desk of the center finally got Barbara the care she needed.

“She took time to give me eye contact and treat me like a human being, and I don’t remember feeling like that. I left and I never came back,” she said.

Advocacy

Years later, Barbara was living in Arlington, Va. Though she escaped the horrors of the streets, she still had not come to terms with the abuse that marked her early years of life. She was deeply depressed and suffered from PTSD.

One day, a television news report caught her attention. Gang members in Northern Virginia had been arrested for human trafficking.

Barbara had never heard the term “trafficking” before. Until that moment, she had blamed herself for everything she had endured.

“I had an epiphany in my living room. I turned up the volume and I self-identified as a victim for the first time in my life,” she said.

Finally, she had a name for what had happened to her. But still, Barbara felt angry that other women and girls were still being exploited. She decided to devote herself to advocating for other victims.

She told her story publicly for the first time on the same television station and began studying the sex trafficking industry. She gave speeches and developed training programs for law enforcement, medical staff, and travel industry workers to teach the inside workings of the sex trade.

Where an office building near the park now stands, she remembers a pay-per-hour motel and a strip club.

She also began advocating for legislation that would allow trafficking victims to remove criminal convictions from their record. Barbara had had a lengthy criminal record herself and worked with lawyers to have the charges vacated, or voided, in New York.

As she learned more about the prosecution of prostitution-related crimes, however, she found this was not legal in every state. New York became the first state to pass a vacatur law for trafficking victims only in 2010. As of March 2018, there are still 11 states that haven’t adopted similar legislation, according to the State Department.

“I feel like it’s my job to educate law enforcement… to see this person as a possible victim and not a criminal,” she said.

Today, she continues to be a fierce advocate for other victims. She has written two books about her life and has a doctoral degree in psychology.

In seeking justice for other survivors, Barbara has found her advocacy has also given her something in return: a sense of purpose.

“Since I began doing the work I do today, I feel like I’ve gotten my life back,” she said.

If you have experienced sexual abuse or are a victim of human trafficking, you can get help by calling the National Sexual Assault hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).

More Positive Stories in the War on Child Sexual Abuse, Episode V

New tool developed to tackle online child grooming

UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid has hailed a new anti-grooming tool as an important weapon in the fight against online child sexual exploitation.

Engineers from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Snap and Twitter, worked for 2 days at a hackathon in the United States co-hosted by the Home Secretary and Microsoft, which tasked industry experts to come up with tools to identify online child grooming.

A prototype tool has been developed that can be used to automatically flag potential conversations taking place between child groomers and children.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:

We all have a responsibility to tackle online child sexual exploitation and the new tool developed during the hackathon is a positive step forward.

Once complete, it will be rolled out for free to other tech companies that want to deploy it.

This is just one thing we can do together to combat this appalling crime.

Hackathon participants analysed tens of thousands of conversations to understand patterns used by predators. This enabled engineers to develop technology to automatically and accurately detect these patterns.

Potential conversations between a groomer and their victim will be flagged so a moderator can investigate further.

And then what?

Further work will take place on the prototype. Once completed it will be licensed free of charge to smaller and medium-sized technology companies worldwide.

During his trip to the United States the Home Secretary met major tech firms so he can be updated on their efforts to tackle the crime. He used the meetings to explore how companies could make greater use of technology to proactively find and remove abusive content from their sites.

He noted that, while some progress had been made, companies still had to go further and work faster to tackle online child sexual exploitation (CSE). The Home Secretary was thanked for his leadership and commitment to the issue of CSE.

Online child sexual abuse will be the focus of the next Five Country Ministerial meeting in London in summer 2019, bringing together interior ministers and attorneys general from the UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Last week the government announced a package of measures to tackle online CSE. This included:

commissioning the Internet Watch Foundation to investigate how advertising is funding CSE activity

a taskforce, chaired by the Home Secretary, bringing together representatives from ad agencies, trade bodies and brands to ensure criminals don’t have access to this funding stream

a £250,000 innovation call for organisations to bid for funding to assist them in developing innovative solutions to disrupt live streaming of abuse

new tools to improve the capabilities of the Child Abuse Image Database (CAID) – the database used by the NCA and UK police forces to search for indecent images of children and increase the ability to identify victims

I really like this Home Secretary. God bless you Sec. Javid.

Indian Nobel laureate wants global treaty to tackle online child abuse

By ROLI SRIVASTAVA, Reuters

LONDON, United Kingdom - Nobel peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi called on Friday for a United Nations convention on online child sex abuse and trafficking, saying an international law is the only way to end the global scourge.

The Indian campaigner against child trafficking said he was gathering support from fellow laureates and religious leaders including Pope Francis for a treaty and a global task force to tackle the multi-billion-dollar industry.

"The same criminal gangs involved in international child trafficking are also involved in online child pornography," Satyarthi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

"I told the Pope that while a government can ban these sites, no one can stop the online porn and sexual abuse due to free digital space, he said after meeting the leader of the Catholic church on Friday to enlist his support.

Satyarthi said he had raised the issue of historic child sex abuse in the Catholic church - an issue Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out on in the past.

"We must ensure that sexual abuse and exploitation of our most vulnerable children is never repeated," he said.

The Vatican's press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Satyarthi said there was a need for an international law because online crimes transcend across borders. He said his demands were submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in September.

While demand for child sex images largely comes from Western nations such as Britain and Australia, children are often abused in countries like the Philippines where growing access to cheap internet and technology is fueling the crime, experts say.

More and more children are being groomed, abused over live streams and sold for sex - often via social media and listings websites - for ever-cheaper prices in countries from India to the United States.

Satyarthi, joint winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize with Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, is also urging a global toll-free helpline to report cases of online child sex abuse.

As child abuse reports rise,

Singapore agencies shore up protection efforts

Government and private organisations alike are expanding initiatives to detect, handle and raise awareness of child abuse.

SINGAPORE: She was pregnant with his child when he first hit her for “talking back” to him. After that, Cindy's husband kicked her, yanked her hair and slapped her till her glasses broke, but she chose to ride it out.

Then he started caning and smacking their kids to the point of bruising and still, she rode it out.

But when he slapped their third son - who has an intellectual disability - more than 10 times across the face, Cindy (not her real name) finally felt fear for her safety and that of her five children.

She spilled the beans to her social worker from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), who promptly helped get Cindy and her kids to the Casa Raudha Women Home shelter - and also file a personal protection order (PPO) against the husband, who was away in Batam at the time.

Cindy's case is one of 894 investigated by MSF in 2017 - a number that has climbed steadily from 343 in 2013, across the areas of physical and sexual child abuse as well as neglect. MSF’s child protective service (CPS) has also recorded an uptick in enquiries, from 2,022 in 2015 to 3,344 in 2017.

It's odd that I would include these dramatically escalating numbers in a report in a 'good news' column, but it is good news. The numbers represent the reality of abuse that has been going on for years, and probably centuries. That these are finally being acknowledged is the first step in any society dealing with spousal and child abuse. Only then can meaningful policies and practices be developed to improve the situation.

Over at Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre, which handled Cindy's case after the PPO, the number of referred abuse cases rose nearly threefold from 123 in the 2013/14 period to 367 in 2017/18.

And the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) told Channel NewsAsia that child sexual abuse cases made up 20 per cent of 515 cases logged by its Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) in 2017. In comparison, for the first half of this year alone, 18 per cent of 386 cases were of child sexual abuse, said the centre’s head Anisha Joseph.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORT

The rising number of cases, however, does not necessarily point to an increase in child sexual abuse, said the organisations.

“It may also indicate that there is greater awareness of support services, or that there are more survivors willing to speak up about their experience,” said Ms Joseph.

Big Love director Serene Tan added: “Another possible reason is that there are also specialised tools that are being used by professionals to better assess and intervene with families with child protection concerns, hence more families can be given appropriate help early.”

She said the agency has been looking at increasing manpower, ramping up staff training and working more closely with the community to tackle the increasing number of cases.

“Big Love also conducts child abuse awareness talks in primary schools and organises public education activities in community spaces,” Ms Tan noted, while pointing to its #GiveAVoiceSG website and campaign, which has collected over 13,000 pledges to protect children within three months.

MSF also attributed the high number of cases investigated to its stepped-up efforts in training professionals, ensuring easy access to help as well as public education.

A spokesperson said the ministry has introduced tools to guide the likes of school counsellors and social workers on action to be taken. A host of options are also available for the public to reach out for help, ranging from child protection specialist centres to dedicated hotlines.

To foster wider awareness, MSF said it trains community and grassroots bodies like SINDA and MUIS to detect and manage abuse cases. The ongoing Break the Silence campaign, introduced in 2016 and disseminated both online and offline, is also an attempt to encourage conversations on family violence.

“Most people will approach friends and family first before going to the authorities, so we need more public awareness about supportive and empathetic responses, and about the resources available,” said Ms Joseph.

“It is important to offer support - reassuring survivors that assault is not their fault, and that how to respond is their choice.”

GROUNDS FOR HOPE

For Cindy, leaning on loved ones never seemed an option, having lost contact with all her siblings and her mother staying too far away to reach.

“Whenever I felt like reporting that he hit me, he would be at home. He was always around,” she said. “I don’t have anyone to back me up … and I was afraid I would get hit again.”

She expressed gratitude for both her social workers - one from MSF who encouraged her to finally move to a shelter, and one from Big Love who stepped in after the PPO was issued.

The situation has improved since and the entire family is living together in the same house again. With regular visits from the Big Love social worker, Cindy's husband now has a better grip on his anger issues, and is aware of alternatives to physically punishing his kids -  such as removing privileges, assigning homework or simply talking to them.

Big Love is positive their case can be closed by the end of 2018. And Cindy herself is optimistic, now that MSF has also helped her secure part-time employment as a pre-school teacher.

“I wasn’t working last time. If I left him, I wouldn’t have income. How would I survive, with my kids too?” she recalled. “I didn’t think I could make it out there, alone … but things are better now, and I hope it stays that way.” 

To report concerns over a child’s safety, the public can dial MSF’s Child Protective Service Helpline (1800 777 000) or ComCare Call (1800 222 0000). For sexual abuse, AWARE’s SACC helpline is 6779 0282.

They can also contact any of the Child Protection Specialist Centres (Big Love, HEART@Fei Yue and Safe Space) or Family Violence Specialist Centres (PAVE, TRANS SAFE Centre and Care Corner Project StART).

Children who need support can call Tinkle Friend (1800 2744 788).

UK pledges £50m to help end FGM

across Africa by 2030

Officials say funding is biggest investment in tackling practice

and helping vulnerable girls

Zeinab Mohammed Salih in Khartoum

‘I will not let anyone touch my granddaughters’: Nakhal Almadina Altayev Mohammed Almansour, 63, an anti-FGM campaigner in Wad al Baseer, in Sudan’s El Gezira state. Photograph: Courtesy of DfID

The British government is to invest £50m in an attempt to end female genital mutilation by 2030, claiming it is the single biggest investment to tackle the issue by an international donor.

The money, announced on Friday, will go to grassroots programmes working to stop the practice across Africa, where it is most prevalent. Penny Mordaunt, international development secretary, said the investment was also key to ending FGM in the UK.

“Inspirational, courageous African women are leading efforts to end the practice in their own countries, and thanks to them, more communities are starting to abandon the practice.

“But progress is at a critical juncture and we must work to protect the millions of girls that are still at risk of being cut. We also can’t end FGM in the UK without ending it globally.”

At least 200 million girls and women have been subjected to FGM – the cutting of female genitals – and an estimated 69 million more girls will be cut over the next 12 years unless action is taken. The UN general assembly has agreed to work to end FGM by 2030 under the sustainable development goals.

The Department for International Development said almost a third of the money (£15m) will be allocated to Sudan, where an estimated 87% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone FGM.

Brendan Wynne, from Donor Direct Action, which runs an End FGM fund, said: “Such additional funding is incredibly welcome but this time around we have to make sure that it actually reaches those women on the frontlines who are working so hard and so successfully to help end FGM. We should not tell them how to do this, but rather get behind them and support their leadership. They know what they are doing and should be trusted.”

In Sudan the money will be used to expand the Saleema Initiative, set up in 2008 by the National Council for Child Welfare and Unicef Sudan. Saleema – “whole” in Arabic – runs 263 clubs at schools where girls, some of whom will already have been cut, discuss FGM and their rights.

Julia Lalla-Maharajh founder of the Orchid Project, a charity campaigning to end FGM, hailed the announcement as “historic”.

“This investment couldn’t come at a more important time, as we reach a tipping point in many countries, as more and more communities choose to stop cutting their daughters,” she said.

“DfID’s £50m investment recognises the increasingly urgent need to do more, to prevent girls from having to live with the often lifelong, devastating consequences of FGC [female genital cutting]. It also invests across the whole system of ending the practice, from working with communities for abandonment, through to using religion, legislation and to support work that stops medical workers practising.”

According to DfID, the project has already helped to reduce social acceptance of FGM by about 18% in the past two years. Six out of 18 states in Sudan have passed legislation banning FGM, even though a ban at a national level has yet to be passed. The Sudanese Midwifery Council has stopped its members cutting girls.

Malak Abdulrahman al-Awad, age 15, from Um al-Qura, is an active member of the club at her school and has managed to prevent girls undergoing FGM.

“I was cut and all my sisters are cut but I am an active member of the girls’ club. Everyone in my school is part of the girls’ club. We learned about the reporting of FGM and the consequences and how it is not religious.”

When she heard that her cousin was to be cut, she took action: “I went and saw the midwife and saw the girl had already begun to cut the girls. There were lots of girls there who were going to be cut.

“I went to my teacher. He reported this to the authorities who intervened and reported the midwife to the police,” she said.

“Then I spoke to the parents of the girls who had not yet been cut and I have told them they should not cut their daughters.”

Zeinab Ali, head of education in Malak’s home state of El Gezira, said clubs aim to empower girls “to have strong opinions in front of their mothers and grandmothers”, who usually make the decisions to have their daughters and granddaughters cut.

One mother, Aisha Dawoud, told the Guardian she now regretted having her only daughter cut when she was six.

“My daughter was sick and some people advised me that if I cut her she will be fine. I wish I hadn’t done it. I saw the consequences of being cut on myself, because it was very hard to give birth and during my period too.

“If I had another daughter, I won’t cut her,” she said.

Cyprus President apologises for paedophile pardon,
will not repeat mistake

By Evie Andreou

President, Nicos Anastasiades, apologised on Tuesday for granting indiscriminate pardons to molesters of children over 13 and gave reassurances the same mistake would not be repeated.

During his address at the presentation of the Foni (Voice) council for the implementation of the national strategy to fight sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography, Anastasiades admitted to his error, which, he said, was weighing on his conscience.

He said that he wanted to apologise because, “during my election, by custom, while not well thought about, I had awarded a pardon by making a discrimination between those sexually abused considering that criminals who abused children over the age of 13 could qualify for the pardon.”

Anastasiades thanked the head of Foni, Anastasia Papadopoulou, “for pointing out to me this mistake.”

The necessary corrective changes have been made, he said. “I hope that the same mistake will not be repeated, not by myself of course, but by the one who succeeds me. Thank you very much Anastasia,” he said.

He was referring to the early release earlier in the year of a man convicted of sexually abusing a minor. The man returned to his home, to live without supervision in the same neighbourhood as his victim. He had received a pardon, along with others, on the occasion of Anastasiades’ re-confirmation as president. It transpired that it was the age criteria set by the justice ministry that made the man’s early release possible.

Apart from lifers, the criteria exclude from pardon those convicted for sexual offences against minors up to 13-years-old, or against minors up to the third degree of kinship. The victim in this case was over 13.

Papadopoulou last month handed Anastasiades her recommendations relating to the release of child molesters from prison on presidential pardon, mainly suggesting scrapping the practice.

During his address, Anastasiades said that the 10-member council, appointed last March, was more than a watchdog for the implementation of the national strategy to fight sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography. He said it is also the voice of victims but also the voice of the state and “of all those struggling to protect and shield children from sexual abuse and exploitation.”

The national strategy to fight sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography, he said, sets the policy directions and is taking the necessary measures and actions to combat these phenomena.

Τhe Foni council, he said, is tasked with promoting, assessing and monitoring the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, known as the Lanzarote Convention. Cyprus, he said, is among the few countries that have ratified the Convention.

Foni will also prepare the new national strategy for the next three years.

The coordinated effort by Foni, the ministerial committee that drafted the current national strategy and the Children’s Rights Commissioner, Leda Koursoumba, he said, “has placed our country among the pioneers in the European Union to combat these most heinous phenomena against children.”

Proof of the progress recorded concerning combating child sexual abuse in Cyprus, he said, is the fact that the Council of Europe (CoE) refers to the country “as exemplary model by welcoming the targeted measures we have taken.” The competent committee of the CoE which monitors the implementation of the Lanzarote Convention, Anastasiades said, has decided to organise conferences in Cyprus next year “in recognition of the important work and progress” made by the country in this area.

Anastasiades also referred to the Children’s House, that handles cases of children, victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Another innovative step, he said, was also the launch of the website of Foni that provides, round the clock, advice and help. The website, that also offers advice to parents, teenagers and teachers may be found at: http://foni.org.cy/

A few hours before Anastasiades’ public apology, media reports said that, in total seven persons convicted of sexual offences against children under 13 had benefited by the presidential pardon earlier in the year.


The data was reportedly given by the justice ministry to MPs. The ministry said that no more pardons will be given to paedophiles, reports said.

Starbucks to block patrons from
watching porn on WiFi

A Starbucks sign at one of the companies stores in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 19, 2018.

© Reuters / Mike Blake

Starbucks will reportedly no longer allow patrons to watch porn on their free WiFi from 2019, following pressure from an anti-pornography activist group that accused the company of facilitating illegal and unsavory viewing.

The nonprofit internet safety organization Enough is Enough (EIE) slammed the coffee chain for “keeping the doors wide open for convicted sex offenders and others to fly under the radar from law enforcement and use free, public Wi-Fi services to access illegal child porn and hard-core pornography,” said CEO Donna Rice Hughes in a statement.

EIE has been leading a campaign to end porn access in Starbucks, and other US companies that supply free WiFi, since 2014, amassing nearly 50,000 signatures of support along the way. The statement said Starbucks promised to consider blocking porn access in 2016, as they already do in Europe, but has allegedly “not fulfilled that pledge.”

On Wednesday, Starbucks confirmed in a statement to Business Insider that they will be restricting customer viewing across its US locations from next year.

“To ensure the Third Place remains safe and welcoming to all, we have identified a solution to prevent this content from being viewed within our stores and we will begin introducing it to our US locations in 2019,” said a company spokesperson.

Now where will the convicted pedophiles go?

Over the past two years, EIE has been successful in pressuring Subway, Chick-fil-A and McDonalds into filtering their free WiFi to prevent patrons from accessing porn.

Nice work EIE! God bless you.

RIP Tumblr? Blogging site plans ban on porn,

users outraged

Anything to reduce the level of pornography is a good thing.

The world would be an infinitely better place without it.

Whether this move by tumblr is another step in that direction,

or whether it is an experiment doomed to fail, only time will tell.

I'm guessing 3 months ought to be long enough to figure it out.

© Reuters / Thomas White

Blogging site Tumblr may be best known as a hotbed of social justice and safe-space culture, but it’s also chock-full of porn. That's all changing though with the site banning adult content after a recent child porn controversy.

The ban will come into force on December 17, and will cover a wide spectrum of sexual content. “Photos, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples, and any content—including photos, videos, GIFs and illustrations—that depicts sex acts” will soon be banned from the platform, according to a statement from Tumblr.

Some exceptions will be made. Nipples will be a-okay as long as they’re shown in connection to breastfeeding or birth, post-operation shots of transsexual genitals are also cool, as are erotic stories, art and political statements involving nudity. Everything else will be flagged and deleted by the site’s algorithms.

Tumblr’s puritan turn didn’t come out of nowhere. Tumblr’s app was removed from the iOS App Store two weeks ago, after child pornography was discovered on the site. The network apologized for allowing the child porn to slip past its content filter, but the app remains unavailable.

“We’ve given serious thought to who we want to be to our community moving forward,” CEO Jeff D’Onofrio said in a blog post. “We’ve realized that in order to continue to fulfill our promise and place in culture, especially as it evolves, we must change.”

The masses haven’t welcomed the change, however. Twitter has been flooded with hundreds of thousands of comments, most of them outraged.  

If Tumblr’s users are right, then the writing could be on the wall for the porn-friendly blogging site. D’Onofrio seemed unperturbed, writing in a blog post that porn users have “no shortage” of other sites to visit.

While there is, indeed, no shortage of porn sites on the internet, few encourage creativity and interactivity is usually limited to comments below videos left by viewers with one-track minds and a tenuous grasp on the English language. Some users pondered making the move to Twitter, but Twitter prohibits most adult content, and hands out bans fairly freely.

Ironically, an alternative found by commenters is the infamous ‘internet cesspool,’ 4Chan. With few rules, 4Chan allows almost any kind of image to be posted, save for child porn or other blatantly illegal content. An influx of Tumblr refugees might not please 4Chan’s anonymous user base of trolls and “weaponized autists” though, as those have been engaged in an on-off prank war with Tumblr for several years.

USL BOOSTS EFFORTS TO PROTECT ATHLETES

FROM SEXUAL ABUSE

STEVE STENERSEN | FUEL

US Lacrosse will now require all coaches to complete a national background screening and online training.

For years, we’ve counted on youth sports to be a haven for our children — an experiential classroom in which life lessons and fundamental values are introduced and tested in a controlled environment.

We’ve taken for granted that the coaches who work with our children are both qualified and honorable in their intentions to contribute positively to the healthy physical development of young players under their care.

Sadly, we can no longer assume that is true.

—

BECAUSE OF GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN,

US LACROSSE HAS INVESTED SIGNIFICANTLY IN STRATEGIES TO REDUCE

THE RISK OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE IN LACROSSE.

—
One in 10 children will be sexually abused before age 18, and one in eight athletes of all ages will be sexually abused within their sport. Sixty percent of sexual abuse occurs at the hands of someone we trust.

One in 10 ratio is inaccurate. It does not include peer-on-peer abuse. The real number is closer to one in 5 or 6.

I’ve written before about the importance of parents knowing who is coaching their child and what qualifications they should possess to effectively teach the sport at each development stage. US Lacrosse certification is the best way to identify coaches who have been properly trained to teach the sport. In addition to interactive online courses and practical on-field clinic experience, US Lacrosse-certified coaches undergo a background check conducted by the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI).

Because of growing concerns about the safety of children, US Lacrosse has invested significantly in strategies to reduce the risk of physical and sexual abuse in lacrosse. We’ve hired a SafeSport program manager, Abby Morris, who is leading the development of model policies and guidelines for programs and leagues. We’ve partnered with the U.S. Center for SafeSport to provide mandatory sexual abuse training for US Lacrosse member coaches. And we recently announced that all US Lacrosse member coaches would undergo an NCSI criminal background screening at no additional cost as a benefit and condition of membership — a requirement to be completed upon their next join/renew transaction.

We’re investing more than $500,000 in our SafeSport program and hope that you will be a vocal advocate to help ensure widespread adoption in the best interest of our sport and the children who play it.

— Steve Stenersen, US Lacrosse CEO

US Lacrosse has ramped up its efforts to protect athletes from sexual abuse by requiring all coaches to complete a national background screening and online training. Both of these requirements will be provided at no additional cost to members.

US Lacrosse has partnered with NCSI (National Center for Safety Initiatives), an industry leader, for the background screenings. As of Oct. 15, anyone who joins the organization or renews as an adult coach member must initiate the national background screening within 10 days. Otherwise, his or her membership will be suspended, voiding the insurance coverage benefit.

While national background screenings are not a new practice at US Lacrosse, the online training requirement is driven in part by the Safe Sport Authorization Act.

The law, enacted by Congress earlier this year in response to the highly publicized arrest and criminal conviction of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, seeks to protect minors by expanding mandatory reporting regulations, requiring the completion of abuse awareness and prevention training, and instilling policies that limit one-on-one interactions.

US Lacrosse is collaborating with the U.S. Center for SafeSport to implement an online training course to further train and educate lacrosse stakeholders. Once completed, the online training will also become a requirement for adult coach membership.

“We have a duty to lead on this critically important issue,” said Steve Stenersen, president and CEO of US Lacrosse. “Our commitment to the welfare of athletes is paramount. There can be no tolerance for physical of sexual abuse of children in the sport of lacrosse.”

SAFE SPORT AUTHORIZATION ACT
In February, a new federal law with stricter mandates was enacted to prevent sexual abuse of minors in amateur sports. The sweeping legislation broadened mandatory child abuse reporting laws to all youth sports organizations, including US Lacrosse.

Under the new law, anyone affiliated with these organizations must:

Report sexual abuse to law enforcement or social service agencies within 24 hours.

Undergo abuse awareness and prevention training.

Implement policies limiting one-on-one interactions.

— Matt DaSilva, Editor in Chief