Canadian police reported 16,905 incidents of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) in 2024, a 16% decrease from the previous year. However, a decade-long trend paints a starkly different picture: OCSE rates have surged by 347% between 2014 and 2024.
Cybertip.ca, Canada's national reporting tipline, has observed a massive increase in cases, particularly luring and sextortion, which escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization receives an average of six sextortion reports daily.
Officials are urging for stronger regulations, citing examples from the UK and Australia, and emphasize the need for government to impose obligations on industry. Collaboration among government levels and social media companies is deemed crucial to combat this escalating crisis and hold offenders accountable.
