Twitter, eBay, Instagram make ‘Dirty Dozen List’ of businesses profiting off sexual exploitation

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, May 02, 2023

Kik

The popular messaging app Kik, which is centered on young people, made the list this year due to concerns over the sharing of abusive images and easy access by predators.

“The anonymous messaging app is a ‘predator’s paradise’ for grooming kids and sharing images of their abuse, in addition to hardcore porn and prostitution ads,” NCOSE said.

The group called for Kik to implement a host of improvements, including using “existing technology” to better block graphic content and “offending users,” remove “features that place children at high risk for sexual exploitation,” adding age verification and “easy-to-find reporting tools.”

Kik had previously made the Dirty Dozen list in 2022, with Stephany Powell, director of Law Enforcement Training and Survivor Services at NCOSE, saying at the time that Kik had been flagged by “law enforcement as a hotbed for grooming, child sexual abuse, pornography, and child sexual abuse material.”