New Zealand Police have received nearly 6,000 referrals over the past four years regarding grooming and child abuse concerns, mainly from tech giants like Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and Roblox. In 2022, Meta made the most referrals (1,328), with Snapchat following closely.
These referrals highlight the increasing risks children face online, from inappropriate content to grooming attempts. It’s not just sexual abuse material – graphic violence is also being shared among young users.
Parents, caregivers, and educators must stay vigilant: set parental controls, monitor privacy settings, and have ongoing conversations with kids about online safety.
Let’s work together for a safer digital world for our children.
Read more about this in the Waikato Times news article ‘Almost 6000 referrals made to cops over child abuse, grooming concerns from four tech companies‘.