Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Instagram labelled a ‘disgrace’ by senior UK police official after report flags more than 100 convicted paedophiles using platform

Instagram labelled a ‘disgrace’ by senior UK police official after report flags more than 100 convicted paedophiles using platform

Instagram has come under fire from British law enforcement after an investigation by the Telegraph revealed that dozens of convicted paedophiles were using the popular social media site.
The newspaper was able to identify more than 100 accounts matching the names and photographs of people who have been jailed for sexual abuse against children over the last decade. Two of the accounts belonged to men serving 20-year prison sentences for raping young children, the Telegraph said.

Some of the accounts were following thousands of people on the social network, including school girls. Children as young as 13 are able to create a profile on the platform.

One sex offender on the site identified himself as a “social media marketer” and was following more than 5,000 accounts.

The company responded to the findings by removing all the profiles flagged by the Telegraph. Police are also examining the accounts, and have launched an investigation into at least one suspect.

Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, asks users to report any known paedophiles by submitting news stories that could link an account to a convicted predator. The site reportedly relies on notifications from law enforcement because the sex offenders’ register is confidential.

In a statement to the Telegraph, Instagram said that it prohibits convicted sex offenders from using its services, and that it works with law enforcement to help detect unwanted accounts. It said that it is able to identify and remove the vast majority of exploitative content before it is even reported, and that it contacts authorities in cases where child abuse is suspected.

But these actions don’t go far enough for Chief Constable Simon Bailey, who serves as the National Police Chiefs Council’s child protection lead. Bailey branded Instagram a “disgrace” and accused the company of abandoning its “social and moral” responsibilities in order to pursue profits.

He claimed that Instagram and other social media platforms weren’t doing enough to stop their services from being used to exploit children. The senior law enforcement official said that he welcomed proposed legislation that gives regulators the ability to impose fines and even jail tech executives for failing to keep their platforms safe.

“We can fly a drone on Mars but we cannot prevent the uploading and sharing of images of child abuse,” he wrote in an op-ed responding to the Telegraph’s findings.

The newspaper’s investigation comes three months after the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, citing police data obtained under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, revealed that paedophiles were increasingly using Instagram to groom children for sex.

The UK government published a draft of its Online Safety Bill earlier this week. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden hailed the proposed legislation as a way to “protect children on the internet, crack down on racist abuse on social media,” and “create a truly democratic digital age.”

The draft bill imposes a duty of care on digital service providers, requiring them to moderate user-generated content in order to ensure their platforms are free of illegal or harmful material.

Critics have warned that the law would harm freedom of expression by forcing companies to over-censor in order to avoid fines or other legal trouble.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×