Australia’s online safety regulator has accused some of the biggest technology platforms of failing to use readily available tools to tackle sexual extortion, warning the crime is continuing to devastate thousands of victims despite existing technology that could help prevent it.
In a report released this morning, eSafety has highlighted significant gaps in how major platforms including Apple, Discord, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Snap and WhatsApp are detecting and responding to sexual extortion and child sexual exploitation and abuse, with a particular focus on the growing threat of sexual extortion.
The report found that while some platforms have made improvements since previous reporting periods, many are still failing to deploy available technologies that could detect abusive behaviour earlier and ultimately prevent it.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the findings showed platforms needed to move far more quickly.
“In several cases, we have provided these platforms with evidence of how their services are being colonised by criminals to devastating impact, with clear guidance on how to stem the abuse,” she said.
“Even when we’ve laid this out, we haven’t seen adequate responses, despite the technology being readily available.
“This report shows that platforms could and should be doing a lot more to prevent these harms and there are simple steps they can take today to protect users.”
The report is the third in a four-part transparency series requiring the major tech platforms to report every six months on how they are meeting Australia’s Basic Online Safety Expectations.
It comes as reports of sexual extortion continue to climb, with more than 2,000 complaints lodged with eSafety between July and December 2025 alone. Young men aged between 18 and 24 accounted for the largest proportion of victims.
“We’re deeply concerned about the devastating impacts of sexual extortion, which not only target vulnerable individuals but also have profound psychological and emotional consequences for victims and their families,” Inman Grant said.
“Sexual extortion often targets young men, with criminals tricking victims into sharing intimate images of themselves before demanding money and threatening to expose the images to family, friends or the general public.”
She said investigators were continuing to see the same criminal tactics used repeatedly across platforms.
“My investigators continue to see the same kill chains, scripts and images being used across multiple sexual extortion scams, and platforms should be picking this up. Better reporting pathways and faster response times to victim reports are also vital.”
Among the report’s key findings was that several providers are still not using technology capable of detecting newly created child sexual abuse material before it is reported by users, allowing content to circulate for longer than necessary.
The regulator also identified persistent weaknesses in detecting grooming behaviour and highlighted the lack of proactive monitoring of livestreamed child sexual abuse occurring during video calls.
Microsoft was the only company found to be using tools that proactively detect and disrupt live online child sexual abuse in video calls.
“No other providers are using proactive detection tools to detect this extremely serious form of harm in video calls,” the report found.
The report also identified shortcomings in reporting systems across services including WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord and Google Messages, with some platforms lacking clear ways for users to report sexual extortion or child sexual abuse, or failing to provide dedicated reporting categories for those offences.
Despite the concerns, eSafety acknowledged several improvements made since previous reporting rounds. Google and Snap have expanded their proactive detection of known child sexual abuse material, Meta has introduced new grooming detection tools and Discord has begun blocking URLs linked to known child sexual abuse material.
Inman Grant welcomed those changes but said far more innovation was needed.
“These are some of the most innovative companies on the planet with some of the best minds. We would like to see some of this innovation going into the development of new technologies to tackle the worst-of-the-worst online content,” she said.
“A comprehensive, multilayered approach is essential – combining proactive detection tools, strong and accessible reporting systems, and ongoing innovation to address these issues.”
