The internet, social media, and virtual communities have no doubt transformed how we work and play — and not always for the better.
For every high-tech breakthrough in communications, we find bad actors hellbent on using such advances to exploit and harm our children and their families. These individuals execute their schemes across the online world, taking advantage of vulnerable boys and girls with wide eyes and innocent hearts.
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According to statistics from an online monitoring resource, Bark, publicized by the organization Enough is Enough, exploitation of our young people is proving to be extremely harmful to their safety, well-being, and future.
The 2023 numbers mined from online family accounts showed that 57% of teenagers found themselves in a self-harm or suicidal situation, 75% of teenagers came across nudity or content of a sexual nature, 77% of teenagers had discussions about drugs or alcohol, and 76% of teenagers had a front-row seat to bullying as a bully, victim, or witness. In addition, 10% of teenagers experienced predatory behaviors online, and 82% of teenagers manifested violent subject matter or thoughts. This is a tragic crisis of monumental proportions that must be addressed if the next generations of Americans are to live in the sunlight of a better tomorrow.
Since taking office, one of my top priorities as Oklahoma’s attorney general has been to protect our children wherever they are, whether in the schoolyard or online. My team and I have zero tolerance for those who prey on children. That is why my office and I have dedicated significant time and resources to defending the virtual experiences of our children so that there are adequate safeguards in place for them. In doing so, we have established a road map for the rest of the country to model to enhance protections for our young people.
Recently, my office has acted on several fronts to protect Oklahoma’s young people.
Earlier this year, I took the first step into possible legal action against Roblox over serious concerns. It is clear this popular online platform lacks adequate safety measures for young users, despite it becoming overrun with child predators and others who mean to do harm. Oklahoma will not abide reckless disregard for children. We will hold Roblox accountable, if necessary, for creating an environment where our children are not safe. No company should profit at the expense of a child’s well-being.
At the beginning of September, I warned major artificial intelligence companies to stop hurting our children. Those companies included Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. Alongside 43 other attorneys general, we addressed disturbing reports of AI chatbots engaging in sexually inappropriate conversations with children. Internal Meta documents reveal that the company authorized its AI Assistants to “flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children” as young as 8. We also cited cases where other chatbots have allegedly encouraged harmful behavior in teenagers — even suicide and murder. It is critical that these companies take the steps necessary to prevent exposing children to sexualized content and inappropriate conversations.
Similarly, earlier this summer, I pushed Instagram to make immediate changes to its newly implemented location-sharing feature to provide extra protections for children and other vulnerable users. Under Instagram’s change, users’ precise locations could be displayed on a map, thereby heightening dangers for children, survivors of domestic violence, and others. User safety must be the highest priority for Meta and Instagram; these companies should prevent the dangers to children by taking a few commonsense measures.
These three actions, and many others over the past two-plus years of my administration, underscore my commitment to protecting Oklahoma’s — and America’s — children. I’m grateful that much of our work on this front has been bipartisan. Protecting our young people is not a partisan issue; it is right and worthy of everyone’s support and cooperation. Officials of all political parties understand the critical nature of defending those who cannot fight for themselves or do not understand the dangers they experience online and in other places.
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Our young boys and girls are the future of our nation, and they deserve maximum safeguards from those who would do them harm. As a father, grandfather, and law enforcement officer, I cannot and will not stand by as our nation’s children are exploited by predators, watching as they are robbed of their opportunities to live the American dream in peace and safety.
You have my promise that my office will use all the tools at its disposal to safeguard our children and hold bad actors accountable for their evil deeds. My hope is that all law enforcement officers across the country join me in these worthy endeavors.
Gentner Drummond is the attorney general of Oklahoma.
