Special to WorldTribune, June 9, 2025

by Homayra Sellier, Innocence en/in Danger

In 2016, a remarkable story unfolded when I had the opportunity to rescue a 15-year-old girl trapped in the dark world of prostitution in France. She first reached out to me through Facebook, and what followed was weeks of careful conversation, building trust amidst the shadows of her reality. Carrying the burden of a child conceived in violence, she longed to escape the clutches of her exploiters to protect her unborn baby.

I did everything in my power to offer her a safe haven. Our chance encounter on Facebook transformed a tale of tragedy into one of hope and resilience.

However, in today’s world, such a lifeline may slip through the cracks. Too many young souls continue to suffer in silence, enduring relentless abuse and degradation, waiting for a cry for help that may never come. I write to you not just as a user of social media but as someone who believes fervently in its potential to change lives for the better.

I recently received a notification from Meta informing me that my Facebook account had been closed due to alleged violations of the rules relating to my activity on Instagram, without any details, explanation, or opportunity to understand the reasons for this sudden closure from one hour to the next, without providing or offering any help. Frankly, I’m speechless.

My accounts are closed by Meta due to alleged violations of Instagram’s rules. Which ones? A recent post where I celebrated a concert with representatives of the Swiss government? I have always taken care to follow the guidelines, especially after my original account was hacked two years ago, which I have never been able to recover.

This decision, which has serious consequences, not only affects me but hundreds of families and victims who reach out to my organisation and me each year; I founded “Innocence en Danger” in 1999, an international organization for the protection and defense of victims of sexual violence.

My Facebook and Instagram pages are lifelines for survivors of sexual abuse who write to me asking for help. These spaces were also important to me personally, as I was a member of a group of over 100,000 people sharing the same battle against my autoimmune disease. As an Iranian expatriate for over 40 years, I have been in contact with family members who have found me through social media from around the world. Those connections were helpful, soothing.

By blocking my accounts, META is depriving victims and their protective circles of the ability to report criminal activity and seek help, cutting me off from my family and my circle of communication about a rare disease.

Meanwhile, serious concerns are in the air, casting a shadow over how Facebook and Instagram handle content related to child exploitation, as revealed by recent lawsuits and studies. Strangely, it is I who find myself silenced, without warning or explanation.

Recently disclosed internal documents implicate Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) in failing to protect minors from sexual predators on its platforms. Last December, the state of New Mexico filed a lawsuit against Meta for negligence in protecting children from online sexual abuse. An investigation by the attorney general’s office, using fake child profiles, highlighted the ease with which child pornography circulates and the weakness of moderation mechanisms.

To support this case, the attorney general’s office conducted a discreet investigation, turning into amateur detectives by creating fake accounts for children under the age of 14. This revealing maneuver highlights the ever-present dangers on social media.

Internal documents from 2020 and 2021 show that Meta was aware of these flaws and prioritized growth over safety. An internal presentation indicates that approximately 100,000 minors are victims of sexual harassment on Meta’s messaging platforms every day. Employees have expressed concern about features that facilitate contact between adults and minors.

One particular case demonstrated that Meta could act quickly to protect a child, but only when the case involved an influential tech executive, highlighting a potential double standard. The prosecutor denounced Meta’s historical reluctance to implement adequate safety measures.

At the same time, it is alarming to note that Facebook is involved in 94% of the 69 million images of child sexual abuse reported by US technology companies. According to researchers, Instagram’s algorithms weave a vast network where predators meet in search of child pornography.

Social media should be welcoming spaces for sharing and solidarity, not places of injustice, despotism, or censorship.

Homayra Sellier

President and founder of “Innocence en/in Danger” Intl
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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