In 2026, the presence of child pornography remains a significant issue on X, previously known as Twitter. Despite claims made by Elon Musk when he acquired the platform in 2022, stating that eliminating child pornography and trafficking hashtags would be a top priority, the situation has not improved. Reports confirm that X is still inundated with illegal videos featuring minors.
Jacques Marcoux, research director at the Canadian Center for Child Protection, highlights a concerning reality: “There is a misconception that child sexual abuse material is relegated to the darkest corners of the internet. The truth is, many images and videos are visible on mainstream social media platforms that millions of users access daily.”
A simple keyword search often reveals this disturbing content, typically hidden within hashtags that do not appear to relate to pornography. The specifics of these hashtags remain undisclosed to prevent further circulation of the material. Efforts to seek clarification from X have gone unanswered.
Criminals sharing these videos aim to redirect interested individuals to more private platforms such as Telegram or Discord, where they can potentially profit. “They utilize large network platforms as a funnel to attract an audience with sexual interest in minors: promoting sexualized images of children or known victims, then guiding that traffic to other websites or platforms where such material is sold,” Marcoux adds.
Reports regarding the extent of this issue are voluntary, indicating only the cases formally reported to the Center, rather than a comprehensive total.
As of mid-2025, Thorn, an organization combating child sexual exploitation, has not responded to inquiries regarding their collaboration with X. However, they confirmed last summer that they terminated their contract with NBC, citing unsuccessful attempts to maintain communication.
New European Regulation
In Europe, the situation is complicated by differing legislation, which has yet to be effectively applied to address these issues. Borja Adsuara, a digital law expert, states, “Networks can do much more than they are currently doing regarding this matter.” The European Commission has started to enforce the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), applying it to X and other platforms, although initially focusing on misinformation and deepfakes.
The DSA mandates networks like X to identify and evaluate risks associated with their services, including illegal content and potential harm to minors. Platforms that successfully block such material often employ a variety of techniques—including search engine matching technology using hashes—to detect and eliminate known abusive images promptly, explains Marcoux.
However, new images present a more significant challenge for detection. Advanced trained models are necessary to recognize the visual characteristics of abuse and estimate the likelihood that an unfamiliar image is child pornography. Thorn utilizes this method by analyzing scenes on a case-by-case basis, though these systems operate based on probabilities and usually require human review.
