Dear Editor:
Defend Dignity, a national organization advocating for an end to sexual exploitation in Canada, has long warned about the rise of sextortion and online grooming. Marketplace’s recent investigation confirms the urgency of these warnings, exposing how predators exploit shame and secrecy to manipulate young people.
When a Canadian teen receives a message demanding intimate photos, it’s not just a moment of fear – it’s a calculated attack on their privacy, trust and sense of self. Sextortion is increasingly prevalent in today’s digital age. Simply put, it is blackmail: someone online threatens to share sexual images or videos unless teens pay money or provide more content.
According to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, reports of online sexual exploitation, including sextortion, have risen by over 150% since 2021. Cybertip.ca has seen a dramatic increase in financial sextortion cases targeting teenage boys, receiving more than 5,000 reports between December 2021 and May 2023 – a 300% year-over-year rise. Teens are being groomed on social media, gaming networks and messaging apps, coerced into sharing images, and threatened with exposure, often leaving them feeling helpless, ashamed and afraid to seek help.
Our laws, technology safeguards, and educational systems are struggling to keep pace with evolving digital threats. Predators exploit the very platforms meant to connect youth, taking advantage of trusted social media networks to entrap them.
Preventing sextortion requires action on several fronts. Teens need guidance on online safety, consent and privacy, along with reassurance that being targeted is never their fault. Parents need the knowledge to support their children. Platforms must detect grooming and sextortion early, make reporting easy and implement proactive age-verification tools. Accessible, non-judgmental support services for victims, and coordinated law enforcement responses are essential.
Bill S-209, led by Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne, would require websites hosting sexually explicit material to verify users’ ages – a step toward preventing children’s exposure to pornography and reducing opportunities for exploitation. Bill C-216, introduced by MP Michelle Rempel Garner, would protect minors by restricting how companies collect and use their personal data, and by requiring safer design standards for online platforms.
Meanwhile, Bill S-212, the National Strategy for Children and Youth Act, proposes a coordinated federal framework to address issues like digital safety, child development and online wellbeing. Together, they reflect growing recognition that online safety must be treated as a public health issue, not just a matter of criminal enforcement.
Canada has the opportunity to lead globally by treating online exploitation not just as a criminal issue, but as a preventable public health crisis. By raising awareness, fostering open communication, and building systemic safeguards, we can protect our children from shame, exploitation, and abuse, giving them the tools to thrive safely in a digital world.
Holly Wood,
Research/advocacy coordinator, Defend Dignity