Designated the first “trusted reporter” in France by Arcom in November 2024, the e-Enfance/3018 Association is now the reporter that transmits the highest volume of reports to social networks in Europe. It is the main point of entry for content harmful to minors reported to platforms. Through this first report published as part of the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), the e-Enfance/3018 Association is warning of the increase in digital violence targeting minors and denouncing the inadequate response from platforms.
Younger and younger children, increasingly serious violence.
124,500 calls in 2025. One victim in four is under the age of 11. Nearly one in four reports concerns sexual offences involving minors (paedophilia, sexual extortion, grooming):
● more than ⅓ of which involve sextortion; ;
● and 1 case in 10 concerns the non-consensual distribution of sexual content
This violence has a direct impact on mental health.
3018 treats a suicidal crisis every three days, a figure that has risen by 3,000 % in ten years.
TikTok is at the top of the list, at the heart of predatory trends towards less regulated private spaces.
TikTok alone has more than three times the number of reports than Instagram and more than four times the number than Snapchat, with more than 1,000 reports.
The situations dealt with reveal a recurring pattern: contact is made on public platforms, then there is a switch to less regulated private messaging systems, where grooming, sextortion and paedophile crimes continue. More than half of the cases of sexual predation follow this pattern.
Faulty moderation: content kept online and opaque decisions.
On some major platforms (VLOPs), withdrawal rates remain particularly low:
● On Snapchat, YouTube and Facebook, more than half of all reported content remains online
● On X, almost 3 out of 4 items of content are not removed
In almost all cases, no explanation is given for the refusal to withdraw.
For content involving minors: harassment, dissemination of intimate images, threats, these responses help to prolong the violence suffered by minors online.
AI, the new amplifier of digital violence.
More than ¼ of sextortion cases now involve the use of artificial intelligence.
Deepfakes, «undressing» tools, conversational agents hijacked for manipulation: new technologies have become real amplifiers of digital violence against minors.
Violence that goes beyond the digital sphere.
Every day, around two situations require referral to the judicial authorities and specialist child protection services, illustrating the importance of the online/offline protection continuum.
Véronique Béchu, Director of the e-Enfance Association Observatory / 3018 : “Platforms can no longer ignore their responsibilities. While they are slow to remove illegal content, the misuse of artificial intelligence is multiplying violence against minors. And it is children who are paying the price for their inaction.”
An operational model recognised throughout Europe.
In 2025, requests via the 3018 application will account for a third of all contacts received, a level five times higher than in 2024.
Explicitly identified by the European Commission as a reference in its action plan against cyberbullying, a similar application is due to be rolled out in all Member States from September.
Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General of DG CNECT, European Commission: “The digital environment is both a place for children to learn and express themselves, and a place where they are exposed to real risks. The European Commission has made it a priority to build a safe digital environment where children can grow up without fear. e-Enfance, which was designated as a trusted reporter in 2024, is making an active contribution to this. Its reliable and comprehensive reports reinforce the moderation practices of platforms in the fight against illegal online content. With the DSA, the European Commission is implementing a solid and protective legislative framework, and is also seeking to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations, in particular by funding Safer Internet Centres”.”
