The report Meter 2024presented on February 27 in Italy by the Meter ETS Association, gives a shocking picture of the proliferation of child abuse material on the Internet. Each piece of information has been individually verified by the World Observatory Against Pedophilia, which collaborates with law enforcement agencies in the identification and prosecution of these crimes.
The document confirms an unprecedented growth of online pedophilia, with figures that show the magnitude of the problem. In just one year, the number of videos containing pedophile content has increased by 220%exceeding 2 million files available on the network. In addition, the following have been detected almost 2 million images, 410 distribution groups in social networksmost of them in Signal, y 8,034 links to web pages dedicated to the dissemination of this content.
One of the most disturbing data in the report is the location of 269 compressed folders containing explicit child sexual abuse material, documenting the existence of organized networks operating with alarming impunity.
Mothers' abuse of their children on the rise
The report highlights another worrying phenomenon: the increase in sexual abuse perpetrated by women, particularly by mothers towards their own children, a trend known as Pedomama. Meter's investigation revealed a shocking case in which a single link shared via Signal contained 1.49 terabytes of child pornography, equivalent to 148,720 videos and photos.
The president of the association, Fortunato Di NotoThe company has pointed out that "Signal has become an accomplice to evil" because, while its end-to-end encryption protects the privacy of its users, it makes it extremely difficult to identify criminals and remove illegal material, thus favoring the impunity of pedo-criminal networks.
America and Europe lead in child pornography distribution
The Meter 2024 Report places America and Europe as the main hubs for the distribution of pedophile material on the web. According to the data collected, 4,977 links were identified on servers in the Americas and 1,475 in Europe, confirming the key role of these two continents in the management of platforms that facilitate the dissemination of this type of content.
In terms of national domains, the report reveals that New Zealand tops the list with 930 reported links, followed by the British Indian Ocean Territory with 642 links, and Colombia, with 390 links. This data reflects how criminals seek refuge in less regulated jurisdictions to host and exchange illegal material.
Artificial intelligence, the new threat in child exploitation
Artificial Intelligence is emerging as a dangerous ally of child exploitation networks. According to the report, criminal groups are using AI to generate disturbingly realistic fake images and videos of child abuse. Although these images do not represent real situations, the danger is undeniable: they objectify children, fuel the demand for pedophile content and normalize real abuse.
The Meter Association has called for AI-generated images to be universally recognized as crimes against children, even if they do not represent actual physical abuse.
The role of culture and historical permissiveness
The Meter ETS report focuses on the present, but the cultural and ideological context that has allowed this phenomenon to grow unchecked in recent decades cannot be ignored.
In the 1970s and 1980s, progressive sectors of the European intelligentsia promoted the decriminalization of sexual relations between adults and minors. One particularly revealing episode occurred in France in 1977, when 80 left-wing intellectuals signed a manifesto in defense of the legalization of pedophilia. Among the signatories were renowned figures such as Michel Foucault, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jacques Derrida, Simone de Beauvoir, Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.
At the time, even the Catholic Church was singled out by some of these circles as a "repressive" institution that, by opposing these ideas, was "preventing the happiness of children". Paradoxically, today it is rightly reproached for not having adequately dealt with the abuses committed within it, forgetting that these aberrations took place in a cultural climate that sought to relativize the harm caused to the victims.
The position in favor of pedophilia has waned over the years, and attempts to normalize it are now meeting with strong social resistance. However, the black market for child pornography continues to grow out of control, fueled by international criminal networks operating under the cover of digital impunity.
How to combat this phenomenon
In view of the worrying picture presented in the report, the Meter Association proposes several lines of action:
- Include in educational programs training on affectivity and responsible use of the Internet.
- Provide counseling and support to families from school institutions.
- Mobilize the press and civil organizations to raise awareness of the seriousness of the problem.
- Establish more restrictive legislation and provide the authorities with effective means to combat this crime.
The report Meter 2024 highlights the magnitude of a reality that is often invisible and that requires urgent and forceful responses from society, authorities and technological platforms.
