Money in exchange for sexual images: an exploitation that affects one in forty minors

BarcelonaSexual content platforms are presented almost like a scratch-off ticket, a convenient and quick way to make money. Through good marketing and support frominfluencers and theopaque internet algorithm, networks like OnlyFans or the websites of Addia sugar Asymmetrical relationships between men and young women in exchange for gifts or money have become an option not only for adults but also target teenagers, who receive advertising and calls urging them to share sexual content as if it were their own initiative. A survey conducted by Save the Children of a thousand young Spaniards indicates that one in forty—2.5%—received financial compensation, a gift, or a favor in exchange for sending erotic material when they were underage. An additional 15% report knowing of cases where individuals have agreed to send such images.

A The Self-Exposure TrapThe organization warns of the lack of awareness among teenagers and young adults that these platforms engage in sexual exploitation of minors. The trap, as described in the title of this report, which complements the report "Networks that Ensnare," lies in the promise of easy money and a marketing strategy aimed at recruiting girls to sell their bodies and services. to raise children to be consumersThe study highlights the difference between digital sexual self-exposure and sexual exploitation. The former refers to situations in which children or adolescents themselves appear to freely take the initiative to record themselves engaging in sexual activities in exchange for a perceived benefit, whether economic, material, emotional, or symbolic.

In reality, these platforms reinforce this self-perception of freedom, whose strategies are capable of obscuring the pressures, inequalities, and power dynamics used to "whitewash pornography and child exploitation," explains Ona Lorda, head of child policy for the organization in Catalonia. Thus, digital self-exploitation or overexploitation are forms of sexual exploitation, and in the case of minors, there is no legally valid consent until the age of sixteen, because it is "an asymmetrical power relationship," she continues.

"I'm with whom I want and I earn what I want. I'm accepting it, and I can even fall in love," says a teenager interviewed by Save the Children. Another who uses OnlyFans acknowledges her ability to decide: "It's something I've chosen, and if something happens that I don't want, since I've accepted it, I'll just have to put up with it." This normalization, as expressed by these two girls, is also reflected in percentages: 71% of the young people surveyed did not identify the sale of content as sexual exploitation and, therefore, do not consider themselves victims. One in three young people sees earning money by sharing intimate images as legitimate.

Creators and Consumers

How do these platforms operate? They invest technology and resources in creating two distinct paths based on gender. The message to girls is that sharing sexual and erotic images provides "empowerment and social advancement." Therefore, they are sought out as "creators" of erotic content. In contrast, the message to boys is different, addressing them as consumers of this content or even as mentors and agents. According to Lorda, this replicates the pattern of prostitution, in which men act as pimps and women provide their bodies. "It's digital pimping," the expert emphasizes.

The platforms claim that posting images online gives teenage girls "a false sense of security," Lorda points out, although, in contrast, the reality is that the danger is real: a quarter of the victims ofSexual exploitation began on OnlyFansAccording to police data. At this point, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and the Department of Social Rights have joined forces to detect pedophiles on social media, and in the summer the creation of a joint commission to crack down on the internet was announced.

The advertising algorithm

Young people and teenagers don't arrive at OnlyFans or adult dating sites directly; the advertising algorithm intervenes. Almost half of those surveyed by the child rights NGO reported receiving sexual messages or ads while browsing networks like TikTok or Instagram.

In light of these situations, Save the Children is calling for the draft law on the protection of minors in digital environments to restrict the capacity of these types of networks to end the current "information vacuum regarding the risks" they entail. Lorda believes it is essential to regulate elements as important as age verification to prevent deception, while also valuing "prevention" to raise awareness among families, schools, and teenagers themselves, and the importance of sex and relationship educationAnd she points out that the images shared today "are not easily erased" and can haunt users and have a major impact on mental health in a few years.