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Child Abuse Material Sent as “Stickers”

The Office for the Protection of Children and Youth serves as a point of contact for young people facing problems online(Bild: FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

Bullying, blackmail, public humiliation, illegal content, and even child abuse material: Children and teens are confronted with all of these online. The Children and Youth Advocacy Office helps those affected: As “Trusted Flaggers” under EU law, they can assist young people.

“He’s a criminal, a pedophile. His girlfriend is only 12 years old!” Accusations like these were used to spread an image of a 17-year-old from Upper Austria online. The photo showed the teenager alongside a much younger girl—who turned out to be his little sister.

Illegal AI Influencer
That’s far from the worst thing that can happen to young people online. “Young women sell sexualized photos without the age of sellers or customers being verified. An AI-generated influencer dances in swastika-patterned underwear and creates several new accounts for every one that’s deleted. Young people are blackmailed with personal data or intimate photos, and child abuse material is shared in groups or even sent as stickers on WhatsApp,” says Doris Bonifarth, director of the Prevention Office at the Upper Austrian Children’s and Youth Advocacy Agency. 

Trusted Reporters
The agency is also stepping up its efforts to combat this: Since April, it has been certified as a “Trusted Flagger” under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Online platforms are required to have direct channels or portals for such flaggers so that their reports can be processed as quickly and seriously as possible. The independent team at the Children and Youth Advocacy Office can also support victims and their parents with legal expertise, as Children and Youth Advocate Christine Winkler-Kirchberger emphasizes.

“Don’t Just Impose Bans”
Other online phenomena, such as the “tradwife” movement, the “manosphere,” or “The Com,” also pose major threats. The latter is a loose umbrella term for nihilistic instigators on the internet. They “lure” their victims with excessive affection and attention before blackmailing them into committing property damage, arson, animal cruelty, self-harm, or even suicide. “It’s important not just to set rules for children, but to explore the internet together with them. If their basic needs—namely, recognition, attention, social relationships, and attachment—aren’t met, they’re much more vulnerable to such dangers,” says Chief Inspector Kerstin Matschiner of the Crime Prevention Division at the Upper Austrian State Criminal Police Office (LKA OÖ). 

Only German and English, but . . .
The Upper Austria Children and Youth Advocacy Office itself only handles reports of posts in German and English. However: “We forward posts in other languages to the relevant authorities in other EU countries,” says Bonifarth—cases on Telegram in Cyrillic script are particularly common.  In total, several hundred posts have been reported since April, of which about 70 were classified as illegal and reported to the platforms.

Pornography in Elementary School
Media education is also essential. You can’t start early enough: Anyone who thinks their child isn’t affected because they don’t yet have a cell phone or tablet is mistaken. Time and again, there are cases where even elementary school students are showing pornography—as well as other content—to their classmates.