Editor’s Note: Samson Inocencio Jr. is the national director of the Philippines’ International Judicial Mission (IJM) and regional vice president of IJM’s OSEC hub, and is opposed to online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC). The views expressed in this commentary are the views of the authors only.
On this day in the world against human trafficking, I realized that I myself held two truths in tension. It’s deep despair and deep hope. After more than 20 years fighting human trafficking in the Philippines, I have witnessed both the unthinkable harm that was inflicted on my children and the extraordinary progress made to stop it.
Now, on an astonishing scale, sex offenders around the world conspire online with traffickers from countries like the Philippines to pay livestreams of child sexual abuse as the offenders directed in real time. As part of the International Judicial Mission (IJM), I am committed to leading a team in the Philippines to protect children from this horrific human trafficking. There, young victims are being trafficked to produce child sex abuse material (CSAM).
At the same time, I am looking forward to seeing incredible success in partnership with the Philippine government to deal with this crime. Since 2011, through IJM-backed cases, Philippine law enforcement has safely led more than 1,470 victims (and at-risk individuals), arrested more than 430 traffickers and convicted more than 265 assailants. In 2016, the US Department of State also recognized this advancement by upgrading the Philippines to Tier 1 in its Human Trafficking (TIP) report. The message was clear. When the judicial system is equipped and accountable, they can stop human trafficking.
However, despite this advancement and commitment from the government, the trafficking enhanced by this particular form of technology continues to destroy communities across the Philippines and around the world. It has become clear that individual governments and bilateral partnership efforts cannot be relied solely on individual governments or bilateral partnership efforts to properly address the tide of violence against children on the Internet. That alone isn’t enough.
“Technology companies must play a pivotal role in preventing victims and vulnerable individuals from being exploited through the use of online platforms and be part of their solutions to combat human trafficking,” according to the 2024 TIP Report. And with many of the world’s largest and most influential technology companies being based in the United States, the US Congress must pass laws to properly encourage this influential sector.
Countries like the United States, where sex offenders who drive the demand for this crime often live, and online platforms, payment processors and money transfer services that make it wrong must take action. This comes at a timely moment for US policymakers who are increasingly paying attention to the crisis of children being exploited online.
It is when the US Congress passes the CSAM Act (HR3921 and S.1829). The momentum of the law was considered at a march hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and advanced bipartisanly by that committee on a unanimous 22-0 vote on June 12th. If enacted, the bill would allow victims to promote or assist in exploitation and seek legal reliance on online platforms that exploit it.
The STOP CSAM Act also helps to improve the quality of reports that online platforms have submitted to the National Centre for CybertiPline of Dead Children by requiring the platform to report specific details of child sexual exploitation. Online platforms must report this form of child sex trafficking under the Reporting Act, passed by Congress and signed into law in May 2024. The STOPCSAM Act strengthens existing reporting obligations and highlights the importance of including certain data points in CybertiPline reports that help you identify or find children, including whether users are actively watching whether they are being exploited or not.
It is a moral obligation to stop the online sexual exploitation of children. And it should be enforced by an increase in legislative measures in the United States.
The work is hard and long, marked by moments of deep fatigue and despair, but hope still wins. Last year, I was recognized as a reporting hero for human trafficking by the US State Department, which gave me a glimpse of this sustained hope. Looking back at the last 20 years of this work, I have undoubtedly witnessed the darkest side of humanity. But my team and I have also experienced deep generosity and care from those who work to combat this crime. And we are supported by the experience of change possible.
