Wickr Me, an encrypted messaging app owned by Amazon, has reportedly become a popular app for people sharing images of child sexual abuse.
NBC News reports that Wickr Me, an encrypted messaging app owned by Amazon, has become popular amongst individuals sharing images and videos of child sexual abuse. Data gathered by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) shows that it is not the only online platform being used to share such imagery.
However, Amazon appears to be doing little to address the issue according to experts and law enforcement officials. As a result, the app has attracted those wanting to trade the illegal material as they believe there is less risk of detection or bans compared to other internet platforms.
NBC News examined court documents from 72 state and federal child sexual abuse or child pornography prosecutions over the last five years where the defendant was alleged to use the Wickr Me app. The cases were filed in multiple countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Almost every prosecution resulted in a conviction aside from the ones currently still being adjudicated. Almost none of the complaints that were reviewed noted any cooperation from Wickr itself or Amazon, aside from a few instances in which Wickr was legally compelled to provide information via a search warrant.
NBC News found hundreds of posts on social media platforms across the internet, including Reddit, Tumblr, and Twitter soliciting minors, those who have access to them, or those trading child sexual abuse material. All of these posts featured links to Wickr screen names.
John Shehan, vice president of NCMEC, commented: “Wickr needs to do more in regards to identifying and taking steps to prevent child sexual abuse material being traded on their platform.”
In a statement, an Amazon Web Services spokesperson said: “Amazon is committed to preventing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in every segment of our business, including Wickr, which maintains strict Terms of Use that clearly prohibit illegal activity. We act quickly on reports of illegal behavior, respond immediately to requests from law enforcement, and take the appropriate actions. Anyone found to be in violation of our terms is subject to account termination.”
Read more at NBC News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com