UNICEF says that about 20 million children in 21 countries faced online sexual abuse or exploitation in one year, with nearly 60 percent of these cases occurring on social media and about 14 percent in online games.
According to the report, about 15 million children have been exposed to unwanted sexual content, 9 million children have been pressured to chat or send sexual images, and nearly 4 million children have had sexual images published without their consent.
UNICEF has warned that abuse using artificial intelligence is also on the rise; in nine countries, around 1.1 million children have said that fake sexual images or videos have been created with their faces.
The report is based on a survey of nearly 21,000 children using the internet in 21 countries between 2020 and 2025. UNICEF has called on governments and technology companies to strengthen safeguards and reporting and protection systems for children.
