Shibbir Ahmed, New York — An estimated 20 million children aged 12 to 17—nearly one in five internet-using children—experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a single year across 21 countries, according to a new report released by UNICEF.

The report, Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, highlights the growing risks children face through social media, online games, messaging services and other digital platforms.

UNICEF said more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while about 9 million were pressured to engage in sexual conversations or share sexual images against their will. Another 4 million had sexual images of themselves shared without their consent.

Social media accounts for most cases

Nearly 60 percent of reported experiences occurred on mainstream social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, according to UNICEF. Another 14 percent of cases occurred through online games, with perpetrators exploiting platform features and children’s trust.

The findings also challenge the perception that online abuse is primarily committed by strangers. UNICEF said 57 percent of cases involved someone the child already knew, including peers, friends, romantic partners or family members. At the same time, 38 percent of children first encountered the perpetrator online, including through fake accounts and private messaging.

Severe impact on children’s well-being

The report found that children who experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse were four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours and self-harm, while also reporting significantly higher levels of anxiety.

In Mexico and North Macedonia, the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours was more than eight times higher among children who had experienced abuse. In Pakistan, the risk of self-harm was more than seven times higher.

Despite the scale of the problem, most cases remain hidden. More than 40 percent of children never told anyone about their experiences, while fewer than 1 percent of cases were reported to authorities, such as police, social workers or helplines. UNICEF said the most common reason children remained silent was that they did not know where to seek help or whom to tell.

21 countries covered by the research

The UNICEF research covered approximately 21,000 internet-using children aged 12 to 17, along with in-depth interviews with 100 young people who experienced abuse during childhood. The first round of research, conducted primarily in 2020–2021, covered Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Viet Nam.

The second round, conducted in 2024–2025, expanded the research to Armenia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Pakistan and Serbia. UNICEF stressed that because the survey included internet-using children, the findings represent internet-using children rather than all children, particularly in countries where internet access remains limited.

UNICEF calls for stronger online protection

UNICEF is urging governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to strengthen protections for children online. The agency called for safer digital platforms, stronger privacy protections, restrictions on unsolicited contact from adults, improved systems for detecting and reporting abuse, and stronger laws and accountability measures.

It also urged governments and communities to provide trusted reporting and support services so children can seek help safely. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said governments and technology companies must do more to protect children in digital spaces.

The findings come as children increasingly use digital platforms for education, entertainment and social interaction, making online safety an increasingly urgent child-protection issue.

DHAKA — A total of 15,717 General Diaries (GDs) were filed over missing-child incidents across Bangladesh during the first seven months of this year, according to figures presented by the government. However, the figure should not be interpreted as meaning that 15,717 children are currently missing, the government’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said on Tuesday. He disclosed the figures during a press briefing at the Secretariat on the government’s recent activities and developments.

According to the adviser, 15,717 GDs related to missing children were filed from January through July 2026. During the previous seven-month period, from June through December 2025, the number was 13,876.

Dr. Zahed said many children reported missing eventually return home or are found, but families do not always inform police after the child returns. As a result, the number of GDs cannot be used to determine how many children remain missing.

“There is no complete information on exactly how many children have not returned,” he said, emphasizing the difference between missing-child reports and the number of children who remain missing.

Missing-child figures raise questions over case outcomes

The latest figures have renewed questions about how missing-child cases are recorded and followed up after a GD is filed. Recent reports citing Police Headquarters data put the number of missing-child GDs at 15,917 between January and July 2026—more than 75 reports a day, or roughly one report every 20 to 21 minutes.

However, that figure also represents GDs rather than the number of children currently missing. There is no regularly published, consolidated national record showing how many children were rescued, returned home, found elsewhere, remained missing, or became involved in cases of abduction or trafficking.

The difference between the 15,717 figure presented by the government adviser and the 15,917 figure cited in recent Police Headquarters reporting also highlights the need for better coordination and verification of national missing-child data.

‘MUN Alert’ launched to speed up rescue

In January this year, Bangladesh launched the Missing Urgent Notification (MUN Alert) system to help locate and rescue missing and abducted children more quickly. The initiative was launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police in cooperation with Amber Alert for Bangladesh.

A 24-hour toll-free hotline, 13219, was also introduced for reporting missing children. The system is designed to allow authorities to quickly verify information and disseminate details such as a missing child’s photograph and last known location.

CID officials have emphasized the importance of the first few hours after a child goes missing, saying that rapid dissemination of verified information can increase the chances of a successful recovery.

Missing does not automatically mean trafficking

The large number of missing-child GDs has also prompted concern over possible child trafficking. Police, however, have said there is currently no evidence establishing a direct link between all of the missing-child GDs and child trafficking. At the same time, authorities acknowledge that trafficking remains a potential risk in individual cases.

Experts have therefore cautioned against treating every missing-child case as an abduction or trafficking case while stressing that potential trafficking risks should be properly investigated.

Need for a coordinated national database

Child-rights advocates and experts have called for a more coordinated national system linking police stations, the CID, the Police Bureau of Investigation, hospitals, morgues and other relevant agencies.

Such a system could track each case from the initial missing-person report through its final outcome—including whether the child was rescued, returned home, found elsewhere, became the subject of an abduction or trafficking investigation, or remained missing.

Without such follow-up information, the number of GDs provides only a partial picture of the country’s missing-child situation. The government’s latest figure therefore highlights a significant concern, but it does not establish how many children are currently missing in Bangladesh. The key challenge now is to determine what happened after each of those thousands of reports—and to ensure that every missing child is accounted for.

AUSTIN, Texas — Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay more than $1 billion to the state of Texas and implement new protections for children and teenagers on its platforms as part of a major settlement over online child safety.

The settlement was announced by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Aug. 26. Under the agreement, Meta will provide more than $1 billion to Texas, with the funds directed toward youth mental-health services, crisis resources, digital-literacy programs, after-school initiatives and grants for Texas schools.

The agreement also requires Meta to introduce a range of new safeguards for younger users on Facebook and Instagram.

Among the measures outlined by the Texas Attorney General’s Office are stricter age-assurance requirements, a default two-hour daily usage limit for teenagers, and notifications that will be disabled by default during school hours unless a parent changes the setting. Likes and reactions will also be hidden by default for younger users to reduce social comparison.

Meta will additionally introduce a nighttime access mode designed to restrict notifications and certain other features for children during specified nighttime hours. The company will continue measures aimed at limiting age-inappropriate content and supporting parental supervision.

Texas Calls Settlement a Major Win

Paxton described the agreement as a major step toward strengthening online protections for children. “This is a historic settlement and a major win for the safety of Texas children,” Paxton said in announcing the deal.

The Texas settlement follows allegations that Meta’s platforms failed to adequately protect children and teenagers online. The agreement resolves the state’s case against the company without requiring Meta to admit wrongdoing.

Separate From Multistate Meta Settlement

The Texas agreement should not be confused with a separate, much larger settlement Meta reached with dozens of other states over allegations involving Facebook and Instagram’s impact on young users.

That multistate agreement is worth up to roughly $17 billion and involves 29 states, according to Reuters. It includes measures such as limits on children’s daily usage, restrictions on nighttime access and additional safety protections. Meta has denied wrongdoing.

Texas was not part of that multistate case and negotiated its own agreement with Meta. The two settlements nevertheless represent a major escalation in efforts by U.S. states to hold social-media companies accountable for the safety and well-being of young users.

More Changes Ahead for Teen Social Media

The Texas agreement comes as lawmakers, state attorneys general and families across the United States continue to scrutinize the effects of social-media platforms on children. Meta’s new requirements in Texas are expected to affect how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram, including how much time they spend on the platforms and when they receive notifications.

Paxton’s office said the settlement is part of its broader effort to strengthen protections for children online. The Texas Attorney General is also scheduled to take TikTok to trial in the fall of 2026 in a separate case involving allegations related to child safety.

The agreements involving Meta could ultimately become an important test of how far state governments can go in requiring technology companies to change the design and operation of social-media platforms to protect minors.