Researchers have warned that paedophiles may be using parents' dating apps to target children.
A report co-led by the University of Edinburgh revealed that men who have sexually offended against children are active daily on dating apps. This has led to increased calls for stricter regulation of these platforms, which are used by 381 million people, according to Statista.
The Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, hosted by the University of Edinburgh, found that men who sexually abuse children are nearly four times more likely to use dating sites compared to non-offenders.
The study also found that 66% of men who have sexually offended against children use dating platforms, with over 22% using them daily.
The report, called Swipe Wrong, is part of a broader investigation into the multibillion-dollar industry of child sexual exploitation and abuse, which financially benefits perpetrators, organised crime and, according to researchers, mainstream companies.
It warned sexual exploitation and abuse of children has become a pandemic, impacting more than 300 million every year.
Research based on a survey of about 5,000 men in the UK, US and Australia showed single mothers are at particular risk, while 11.5% of men surveyed admitted having sexual feelings towards children and 11% confessed to sexual offences against minors.
It followed a separate survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology that found 12% of dating app users received requests to facilitate child sexual exploitation and abuse – most often related to their own children.
Most dating sites do not require new users to provide evidence of their identity, and the report shared new insights into perpetrator behaviour online.
It found offenders may appear trustworthy, as they are more likely to have a child in their house, work with children, and have a higher education level.
The report also found men who have committed sexual offences against children engage more frequently in certain online activities, like online shopping, dating and gaming, and are also more likely to own and use cryptocurrency and to buy sexual content online.
Report co-author Professor Michael Salter, director of the Childlight East Asia and Pacific Hub at the University of New South Wales, said: “Our findings provide clear evidence that dating apps lack adequate child protection measures, and loopholes are exploited by abusers to target single parents and their children.
“There’s no reason why the robust user identification methods we have in other industries, such as banking and gambling, should not also have to be adopted by dating app platforms.
“Similarly, there are a range of AI tools and systems that can flag problematic words and conversations that can and should be used.”
Professor Deborah Fry, Childlight’s global director of data and professor of international child protection research at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Child sexual exploitation and abuse is a global public health emergency that requires emergency measures – but it’s preventable.
“We must mobilise globally, focusing not just on reactive law enforcement but on prevention strategies tackling underlying determinants of abuse – including financial and technological ecosystems sustaining it.”
