The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has released its “Dirty Dozen” list for 2023, calling attention to groups facilitating sexual exploitation.
The group is asking that concerned parties sign petitions that will be sent to each company requesting that they take action to mitigate the damage their companies reportedly facilitate.
The group outlined the alleged offenses of each company starting with Apple, calling them the “primary ‘gatekeeper’ to what America’s children are accessing online ... as well as who is accessing them.”
According to NCOSE, Apple’s App Store is “deceptive to the core,” noting specifically misleading age ratings and descriptions that add risks and dangers to children.
In addition to groups who have already received backlash for potential contributions to exploitation, including OnlyFans and Snapchat, NCOSE pointed out potential harms with some less obvious businesses, including eBay and Spotify.
According to the center, a parent alleged that porn is available on Spotify, potentially allowing children access to the content.
“Pornography [including content that normalizes sexual violence, child sexual abuse, and incest] can be easily found on Spotify in the form of thumbnails graphically depicting sexual activity and nudity, as well as ‘audio pornography,’” NCOSE reported.
When it comes to eBay, NCOSE asserts that: “Whatever it is, you can get it on eBay,” and that extends to childlike sex abuse dolls and spycams advertised specifically for filming women without their consent.
NCOSE has been conducting analysis on groups and businesses with potentially unethical or dangerous business practices for more than a decade.
In March of this year, it released its “decade in review,” saying that the annual campaign has “galvanized thousands” to “call on corporations, government agencies, and organizations to change problematic policies and practices.”
NCOSE claims to have seen “major victories” over Google, Netflix, TikTok, Hilton Worldwide, Verizon, Walmart, the U.S. Department of Defense, and others, due to its Dirty Dozen project in the past.
A Discord spokesperson responded to The Epoch Times’s request for comment, saying: “Child-harm content is appalling, unacceptable, and has no place on Discord or in society.
“We work relentlessly to keep this content off our service and take immediate action when we become aware of it, including banning users, shutting down servers, and when appropriate, engaging with the proper authorities and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).”
The Epoch Times has also reached out via email to the other 11 businesses listed but did not receive a response on the subject in time for publication.
