(THEME MUSIC PLAYS)
(PULSATING MUSIC PLAYS)
JESSICA LONGBOTTOM: It's the age of influencers,
and Australian kids are getting on board.
It just blew up. People were just sharing it, and I thought, "Wow!"
Encouraged by parents,
they're filling social-media feeds and vying to be the next big thing...
They are more authentic, more real.
..selling everything They are more authentic, more real.
..selling everything from make-up to high fashion...
..selling everything Oh, my gosh!
..they're reaching millions of people.
So, first we've got the viral TikTok skincare headband.
The most famous make tens of millions of dollars a year.
ZOE: She's her own brand now, I think.
ZOE: She's her own brand now, AVA: I want to be famous
'cause I feel like I can keep going and then I will never stop.
But behind the glitz and glamour
there are growing concerns
about who is really benefiting there are growing concerns
about who is really benefiting from this new breed of child star.
JULIE INMAN GRANT: We're promoting this imagery and we're glorifying it
JULIE INMAN GRANT: We're promoting and we're commodifying it.
People are profiting from this.
And can kids really consent?
Do you ever feel like you were forced to do anything you didn't want to do?
No. I wanted to start up the account.
This is her career, so, how else do you put her out there?
No matter how well-meaning the parents,
they can't always control who's watching.
It is clear that offenders will obviously gravitate
to victims that are easier to access.
ZOE: The first time I ever received one
ZOE: I felt sick to my stomach.
We're not going to put our kids in short shorts and midriff tops
on a dark street corner in King's Cross,
but we're doing the same in the online world.
If you just flick through there, you can see.
Gross.
This is a child.
Oh, wow. OK. So, she's very young.
In this Four Corners
we delve into the unregulated world of child influencers.
While some parents hope it's setting their kids up
for the career of a lifetime,
we've found they're often exposed
to a dark side,
and the companies that stand to benefit
aren't doing enough to keep them safe.
GROUP: One!
Two!
Three!
Four!
Five!
Inside a warehouse in South Australia
these cheerleaders are preparing for competition.
these cheerleaders (GROUP YELLS ENCOURAGEMENT)
(HI-ENERGY MUSIC PLAYS)
GROUP: Go, Ava!
(GROUP CHEERS)
10-year-old Ava spends at least three (GROUP CHEERS)
10-year-old Ava spends at least three hours a night, four days a week here
10-year-old Ava spends at least three training to be the best.
And one.
Ohh! (LAUGHS)
As the flyer - the person who gets thrown high in the air -
As the flyer - the person she loves being centre stage.
COACH: Just try it one more time. Just have confidence.
When you fly, you've got to go up first.
ZOE: Ava's a big personality in a little person's body.
She's very, very active,
so, she loves cheerleading and dance.
And she's got goals. She's got aspirations.
She just loves to perform for other people. Always.
She sees a camera or anything, she's keen, she's ready.
Ava performs for tens of thousands of people around the world
through her Instagram channel.
We're in COVID in lockdown through school,
like, we couldn't go anywhere,
and started with the beach
and taking some shots in some new dresses
and it all sort of blew up from there.
and it all sort of blew up Hello, hello, hello.
Ha!
SONG: # Let's get married in Vegas We don't need a guest list
SONG: # Let's get married in Vegas # I don't wanna think too much... #
Ava has had the account since she was eight,
using it to show off her modelling, acrobatic and dance skills.
AVA: I think my first ever video was Science At Home,
and I got, like, more views and more followers.
So, it went to, like, 1,000
to, like, 2,000 in, like, two nights.
So, I was pretty happy about that.
So, I was pretty happy SONG: # You're so beautiful
# I think it's time SONG: # You're so beautiful
# I think it's time for the world to see... #
# I think it's time Now, with more than 14,000 followers,
she's joining the multitudes of children worldwide
she's joining trying to be influencers,
also known as 'kidfluencers'.
Nice, big smiles. (CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK)
Nice, big smiles. # Every time you smile
# Breaking hearts You don't know you do
# They say, "Ooh-la-la!"
# Looking in your eyes
# Marilyn's got nothing on you... #
Child influencers can make money
through collaborations with brands,
views on their videos
and paid subscriptions views on their videos
and paid subscriptions to their channels.
It's the best face wash out there. You NEED to get it.
They use sites like YouTube and TikTok,
but the platform of choice for many brands using influencers in Australia
is Instagram.
Ava's promoted all sorts of products,
from fairy floss to online reading tools and stamps.
So, I got the pink one. It's just, like, a normal ponytail.
Got the braided ponytail and another braided ponytail.
And she has quite the collection of free stuff
sent to her in exchange for her promotion.
Then I have my dresses that I also got for free,
and my favourite one is probably this one.
Oh, I got this one for free.
So, I got this.
And...
..my hairbrush is somewhere.
How does having 14,000 followers make you feel?
It feels good 'cause when people see my followers,
they want to, like, collab with me and...
they want to, like, Like, I think I hit, like, 13,
and then people started sending more stuff.
OK. Ready. Alright, you got it?
Alright, go.
Ava and her mum
have even taken to promoting products that they've paid for
in the hope it'll be reposted by the company
and grow her following.
Children under 13 aren't able to have their own Instagram accounts,
so, Ava is only allowed to have this online profile
so, Ava is only allowed because it's run by Zoe.
So, who does the posting? Is it you or Ava?
So, who does the posting? Ava makes a lot of her own.
She'll do a lot of the ones Ava makes a lot of her own.
She'll do a lot of the ones where she's, like, dancing.
Can you come and check this before I post it?
As for, like, the marketing side of things and that,
As for, like, the marketing side I'll do pretty much all of that.
That one... I'll do pretty much all of that.
That one... Yeah, that's a bit...
That's alright, isn't it? Yeah.
Yeah? The song's pretty cool. SONG: # We lay out late
Yeah? The song's pretty cool. (SINGS) # Underneath the pines
# Still have fun (SINGS) # Underneath the pines
# Still have fun when the sun won't shine. #
One reason Zoe is encouraging Ava's growing stardom
is to open up her options for the future.
When she was in Year 1 at school
she was diagnosed with a severe receptive language disorder
she was diagnosed with and ADHD.
So, she finds reading and writing and ADHD.
So, she finds reading and writing quite difficult
So, she finds reading and writing as well as being dyslexic.
I think Instagram has helped with that as well,
like, it's really helped to boost her confidence a bit.
So, some people might have the image
of a mum making a child do something
they don't really want to do. Yep. Yep.
Is that what's happening here with Ava?
Nuh.
You've seen Ava. (LAUGHS)
She's very much got her own personality.
PHOTOGRAPHER: (LAUGHS) Where's your muscles, Ava?
Sometimes she tells me how it is.
Cute!
She's her own brand now, I think.
It's taking her down She's her own brand now, I think.
It's taking her down a whole other avenue, I think. Yeah.
Do you think she does have the ability to consent to all this
and to be putting this material online?
and to be putting Um...
I don't think...
..any child, you know...
..can consent, to a degree.
Like, that's why we have parents that advocate for them.
But, at the end of the day, you know,
we're looking at the dangers and the risks associated with Ava posting.
we're looking at the dangers and the (CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK)
(BIRDS SQUAWK) (ENGINE RUMBLES)
Ava is making a big income for a 10-year-old.
On top of the free stuff she receives from brands
Zoe says she earns up to $500 a month
through donations and subscriptions from her followers.
Zoe says Ava gets to keep the money.
Do you know who her subscribers are?
Um... Nope.
No.
Do you wonder why they're subscribing to see Ava?
Um... Yeah, I have wondered that.
Um...
But then why do they... why do people subscribe
to the other hundreds of thousands of people on Instagram
to the other hundreds of thousands or any other platform?
Ava's growing following has made her parents take precautions
that they don't take with their other children.
She's not allowed to catch at all, like, the bus to school on her own.
We don't just send her off to the shops down the end of the street
to go and get, you know, milk when we run out.
We don't let her go to the park by herself.
We don't let her go to the park I think...
..it's just, you know, um...
..a bit more riskier with...
..Ava being on a social, um...platform.
Yeah.
Online, Ava has attracted unwanted attention.
As well as sexual comments being made on her Instagram page
she's had explicit images sent to her.
The first time I ever received one I felt sick to my stomach.
Zoe spends part of each day before Ava gets up
filtering messages and blocking users.
So, do you worry that potentially a paedophile could fixate on her?
Absolutely. Yep.
We've sat down together as two parents and spoke about the risks
and, you know, the pros and cons and what there is, what's going on,
um...and had a chat with Ava as well about, you know,
um...and had a chat with Ava as well do you continue?
Um...
(SIGHS) She... At the end of the day, like, she loves it.
As a parent, I think we need to be vigilant and aware at all the times
whether your child is on or off social media with paedophiles,
but we keep going because social media is what she loves.
Commander Helen Schneider leads the Australian Federal Police unit
that investigates online child sexual abuse.
Hello?
I think my concerns,
whether it's child influencers or anyone who is posting that,
is you are undoubtedly placing yourself in a greater-risk bracket.
It is clear that offenders will obviously gravitate
to victims that are easier to access.
to victims What we're finding
in the seizure of devices and large amounts of data What we're finding
in the seizure of devices and large amounts of data
is often innocuous pictures of children
or non-sexualized images of children
that are caught up in these images of child-abuse material.
Do you like it?
Yeah! Yeah!
You got a heart.
Nina is careful about what she posts of her son Jerome.
Let's go. Let's go change.
As a mother, I believe I'm doing everything possible to protect him
As a mother, I believe I'm doing and do it all safely.
So, not posting things where they're topless or just in a nappy,
where images can be doctored,
and not taking photos of particular streets
and not taking photos where you might be taking photos
or sharing any form of location.
A successful kidfluencer,
Jerome has flown from his home in Queensland to Sydney
to be the face of a new clothing line.
So, Jerome has about 100,000 followers,
So, Jerome and look at him, like...
..his face speaks for itself,
you know, ..his face speaks for itself,
you know, there's not much I need to say.
He's a beautiful boy, and people can see that.
Thousands of people were watching Jerome even before he was born.
His mother, Nina, is a model
and already had her own following on Instagram when she became pregnant.
Nina started his account when he was still in the womb.
As soon as he was born
I just looked at his face, I'm like, "Oh, here we go,"
I just looked at his face, like, "you're my son,
"you're just going to be like, "you're my son,
"you're just going to be a little mini copy of me."
"you're just going to be And, even before he was born,
people were like, "He's going to be a little model."
people were like, And I kind of think
that just kind of manifested And I kind of think
that just kind of manifested into where he is today,
that just kind of manifested and he absolutely loves it now.
Brand deals rolled in, with Jerome now making about $20,000 a year,
90% of which his parents say they put aside for him.
At first it went well,
but then Nina encountered the darker side of kidfluencing.
She says different Instagram accounts started appearing
She says different Instagram accounts featuring Jerome's photos,
with some of the account holders making shocking claims,
like THEY were, in fact, Jerome's mother.
When Nina contacted them
they only doubled down.
Oh, horrible. Yeah. they only doubled down.
Oh, horrible. Yeah.
And especially when they're kind of taunting me
and saying that, "No, he's MY child,"
and saying that, and, you know,
Jerome's sitting right next to me, and it's just...
Like, what do they get out of it? You know?
It's frustrating, but there's really not much I can do.
Worse was when her followers alerted her
to what looked like a US adoption website.
People were being told that for a price they could adopt a child.
People were being told that for One of them was Jerome.
They portrayed themselves to be legitimate.
They had an address of an adoption agency in America,
and were posting my son, along with many other children.
and were posting my son, I felt my heart sink.
I...
I pretty much started crying, if I'm honest,
and I just got goosebumps all over my body.
Like, how... How has it gotten this far?
Like, yeah, I felt horrible.
As a mother, you want to protect your child,
and I felt that that was out of my control now.
We have to remember that social media is like the public square. and I felt that that was out of my control now.
We have to remember that social media is like the public square.
Sadly, it's become a bit of a cesspool,
Sadly, it's become social media in general,
um...that attracts people
who have ill intent or bad intent um...that attracts people
who have ill intent or bad intent towards children.
As you can see, this is my son
on their website, um...
It says to "Adopt now."
Another photo of my son.
Nina posted about the website
Nina posted on her own page,
and the scam was ultimately
taken offline.
Who really knows if that's true?
Who really knows I think a lot of people might think,
"Why do you keep I think a lot of people might think,
"Why do you keep putting Jerome out there
"after something like this happened?"
"after something like this Why DO you keep doing it?
It's...
It's a big learning curve.
I love it. He loves it so far.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Show me the lemons. Oh!
I mean, I suppose it's up to him if he wants to continue it.
And I'm being extremely careful and protective of him right now.
I love what I do. I absolutely love it.
And he's a beautiful boy and I'm very proud of him.
Which is why I'm continuing to do it.
And, listening to you talk, it sounds like this is a lot of what YOU want.
There's probably people thinking, "Well, is this what Jerome wants?"
Well, I never force him into anything.
And, for him, a photo shoot is really him going to play,
And, for him, a photo shoot and we just capture what we can.
And have you thought about, I guess, issues of consent?
And have you thought about, I mean, a lot of people would say,
"Look, he's four - I mean, a lot of people would say,
"Look, he's four - he doesn't know what he's doing."
Can he consent to this? And how do you think he'll feel when he's older?
Can he consent to this? And how do I think I'm doing the best I can
to explain in detail what we're doing.
So, um...he's comfortable with it.
And, you know, I'm his mum, I know best,
and, at the end of the day, it's up to me.
And if I believe I'm protecting him while doing it,
that's the best I can do.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Can you look this way? Can you look to the curtains for me?
Simona Stirling has worked in marketing for nine years
and is now launching a new children's fashion label.
and is now launching (LAUGHS)
Working up a sweat over here. (LAUGHS)
I think people want to sort of see kidfluencers
because I think they are more authentic, more real.
That then translates to sales, definitely.
Ohh! What's up, Jerome?
I've worked with brands where they've basically
had their top-performing ads of all time be of an influencer,
and that way outperformed any even campaign shoots that they did
that they might have spent $30,000, $40,000 on,
and then they've spent maybe $1,000 or gifted free product,
and that's been their top performer.
Ohh!
While Nina only works
with companies she believes While Nina only works
with companies she believes are doing the right thing,
with companies she believes there are plenty who aren't.
(YELLS) Yeah!
They are willing to prioritise profit (YELLS) Yeah!
They are willing to prioritise profit
over children's safety and well-being.
We want to see corporations putting safety measures in place
We want to see corporations and not utilising children
to, essentially, be billboards for their brands.
Lyn Swanson Kennedy works with Collective Shout,
Lyn Swanson Kennedy an Australian organisation concerned
about the growing objectification of women and children.
She believes no child should be an influencer,
and one of the companies in her sights is fashion giant Shein.
Often the girls are dressed in sexualised clothing,
Often the girls are dressed they are posed very adult-like,
they are pouting.
JULIE INMAN GRANT: The challenge with sexualising young people
JULIE INMAN GRANT: The challenge as part of influencing
is it's subtle.
There may not be that solid line, is it's subtle.
There may not be that solid line,
but, clearly,
the more suggestive
or sexualised the child is,
depending on their audience,
the more comments, the more likes, the more hits they're getting,
the more comments, the more likes, obviously, the more attention.
Shein's already been reprimanded for its use of kidfluencers.
An Australian girl posted a video from her account
showing her wearing a cut-out Shein dress.
The post included a discount code,
which meant it's likely the girl would be paid commission by Shein
which meant it's likely the girl if people bought the item.
The regulator, the Ad Standards Community Panel,
The regulator, noted the girl was 14.
It considered Shein did have
"a reasonable degree of control It considered Shein did have
"a reasonable degree of control over the advertisement"
"a reasonable degree of control and depicted the girl
"in a manner which treats her
"as an object of sexual appeal."
In response to our queries
Shein issued a brief statement saying it:
Shein is one of many brands
that have been criticised for sexualising children on social media.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant
is Australia's independent regulator for online safety.
Before taking up the role, she spent 20 years working for big tech.
She says social-media platforms as well as brands
She says social-media platforms are profiting from sexualisation.
JULIE INMAN GRANT: There's always been peer pressure,
but the kind of peer pressure created by social media,
this rock-star, confected version of self,
this rock-star, confected can be so harmful and damaging.
And we don't want to sexualise
an entire generation of tweens and younger,
but that's what we're seeing when we're promoting this imagery
and we're glorifying it and we're commodifying it.
and we're glorifying it People are profiting from this.
So, we need to take, I think,
a closer look at ourselves So, we need to take, I think,
a closer look at ourselves as a society.
For Bobbi, being a kidfluencer was about highlighting her dance talents
For Bobbi, being a kidfluencer was and getting brand deals.
In the darker places on the internet
it became about something else.
(ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC PLAYS)
Now 15, she's been dancing since she was a little girl.
Now 15, she's been dancing BOBBI: It's literally my whole life
'cause all I do is dance, BOBBI: It's literally my whole life
'cause all I do is dance, like, all day, every day.
And it's just something that, like, I'm so passionate about.
KYM: I remember one day she said to me that,
"If I didn't have dance, it would be like not breathing." KYM: I remember one day she said to me that,
"If I didn't have dance, it would be like not breathing."
"If I didn't have dance, And I...
..I appreciate that because she absolutely loves it.
When Bobbi was seven
her mother started her Instagram account.
SONG: # She's a straight-talking Street-walking
# Top-shelf Redlining limousine... #
We would go and spend half a day and we would have a lot of fun.
It was just her and I in the moment, taking shots,
and that was her being creative and expressing.
# She's a fast car and that was her being creative and expressing.
# She's a fast car
# A superstar... #
Kym says she did it to promote Bobbi's dance career.
We always were very mindful
of the content that we posted, the angles that we used.
of the content that we posted, You know, I tried my hardest
to portray her as the child she was, at the age she was.
But, you know, a lot of the time,
it's a dance world and, you know, the costumes are small
and, you know, she's got a full face of make-up on.
and, you know, she's got (WAVES LAP)
After a couple of years it went big
with multiple brand deals and Bobbi reaching 250,000 followers.
At her peak up to 2,000 new followers were joining each day.
And there's this one. Oh, my gosh.
And there's this one. Wow. That's a long time ago.
Seven years after she started,
Bobbi can now reflect
on what it was like being a kidfluencer at such a young age.
on what it was like being Oh, my gosh. (LAUGHS)
I didn't think I was an influencer.
Like, at that age I wasn't caring about the followers or the likes.
Like, at that age I wasn't caring Oh, my God. (CHORTLES)
I think I was just a little kid just showing off what they do, yeah.
Sometimes when we, like, do these things,
I'd always get, like, frustrated and I was just like...
Sometimes, yeah, I didn't want to do it.
But, yeah, I am glad that I, like, did it
because obviously it got me, like, in a good place
because obviously with all, like, the...
Like, I got lots of deals and, like, brand deals and sponsorships.
At its height
Kym was spending many hours a day managing Bobbi's Instagram,
but says it became impossible to monitor who was following her.
Instagram allows account owners to block users,
but Kym says the clunky process meant she couldn't block all of them.
but Kym says the clunky process meant Who were her followers?
There was a lot of dancers,
and at one point, I think, yeah, There was a lot of dancers,
and at one point, I think, yeah, there was a lot of men,
and it was varying ages and from lots of different countries.
What kind of things were you blocking?
It would be inappropriate comments,
comments which had more of a sexual connotation to them,
which, you know, really upset me the first time I became aware of it.
Like, inappropriate emojis, you know,
and I don't think if a child saw them they would know what they mean,
and I don't think if a child saw but you would, you know.
Like a...
..a squirting water emoji or a peach emoji.
I remember someone sending a message and asking her
to send, you know, different photos stretching,
you know, the different dance stretches.
you know, And then they started asking
very peculiar...you know, And then they started asking
very peculiar...you know, like, for very specific poses,
very peculiar...you know, and I thought, "No."
And that really... I was, like, really shocked.
So, that's not Bobbi's account.
Soon multiple fan accounts of Bobbi sprung up...
..some masquerading as her real Instagram profile.
There were sexual comments all over the pages.
Bobbi's image was being used on other websites too,
with her face used to make sexualised images.
All the original photos had been taken from Bobbi's Instagram account,
which Kym had created.
Do you think potentially you played a part in sexualising Bobbi?
No.
Do you watch the Olympics? No.
Do you watch the Olympics?
They do gymnastics.
They do swimming.
Bobbi a lot of the time is more covered than that.
Do you go to a local beach
where any person who walks past has access to her?
Where anyone can be sitting there taking photos?
Where anyone can be sitting there having inappropriate thoughts?
Where anyone can be sitting there So, where do you draw the line?
It's like telling a woman,
"You shouldn't go out in public It's like telling a woman,
"You shouldn't go out in public dressed like that
"You shouldn't go out in public "because you could get raped."
Why?
That's teaching my daughter Why?
That's teaching my daughter to feel ashamed
and "Don't go out in public and don't show my talent."
And I'm not responsible for other people
having a judgement or opinion, that's their own business.
I know what we're doing. Bobbi knows what we're doing.
I know what we're doing. You know, she's safe, in my eyes.
Kym complained about the copycat accounts to Instagram,
asking for them to be taken down.
Instagram has the right to delete accounts
when it finds they're not abiding by the terms of use.
But, soon after, Bobbi's actual account
with hundreds and hundreds of posts
was deleted by Instagram.
I was upset. Like, it actually made me really upset, I think.
Yeah, I was crying, like, I was, like...
'Cause we had put so much work and time into it
and I know that, like, I just loved that,
I just loved posting everything.
And I just was really confused too.
That was like the nail in the coffin.
I'm like, "Are you kidding me?"
And I just thought,
"Here's a page that is absolutely not...it's totally fake,
"Here's a page that is absolutely "it's not monitored.
"THAT is allowed to stay open?
"Yet, this page," you know,
that was making her... you know, she had income,
she had responsibilities, she had contract...
she had responsibilities, We lost all of them.
And that's her whole career, and they just wiped it.
Instagram owner, Meta, wouldn't respond to questions
Instagram owner, Meta, about why it deleted Bobbi's account.
But, after Four Corners asked the company about the copycat accounts,
But, after Four Corners asked the it deleted some of them.
Bobbi started her account again
and now has about half the number of followers.
Meta said:
But most families we've spoken to
say, often when they've reported But most families we've spoken to
say, often when they've reported sexual content to Instagram,
say, often when they've reported no action is taken.
Not all kidfluencers are sexualised by users on Instagram,
but our research has found
there's a group of girls that are often targeted.
There does seem to be a particular draw by these men
to content featuring underage girls
in particular types of clothing.
So, swimwear, leotards, cheer wear.
In fact, a look at Lyn Swanson Kennedy's account
shows how Instagram is serving up these children to predators.
I never have to look for these girls.
I don't have to seek this content out.
Essentially, I have a research account which I use,
and I use it the way that a predator likely uses it
and I follow around 1,600 underage girls.
They are fed to me in an algorithm-driven gallery
of more and more young girls, kidfluencers, mini models.
When Four Corners began researching this program,
after following just half a dozen girls
the same thing happened to our search feed.
Four Corners journalist Carla Hildebrandt
has been investigating
the Instagram accounts of kidfluencers
the Instagram accounts for more than a year.
CARLA HILDEBRANDT: So, you can for more than a year.
CARLA HILDEBRANDT: So, you can see here are some of the comments
from accounts that seem to be from men.
from accounts The Seductress,
and, "Your best stuff was always slow and sensual."
And there are many more disturbing comments.
As well as public comments,
some kidfluencers are bombarded As well as public comments,
some kidfluencers are bombarded with private messages.
So, one parent of a nine-year-old child influencer
has given us some of the messages her daughter's received.
He is a user saying they want to do a tribute.
So, that means ejaculating on a photo of the girl.
So, that means And there's more.
So, how did this mother deal with this?
Well, she said she'd report it to Instagram,
but there were times Instagram wouldn't investigate.
(READS)
It gets much worse.
So, I've found fake porn It gets much worse.
So, I've found fake porn using the kids' faces.
And...
Yeah, the intense obsession they have with these girls
Yeah, the intense obsession is frightening.
Carla's discovered encrypted chat channels
where groups of men lust over their favourite child influencers
after scraping the photos off Instagram
after scraping the photos and other social-media sites.
There are also photos of them masturbating to images of the girls.
So, this is one conversation which has over 150 members
dedicated to a 15-year-old US influencer.
So, in this other chat,
they share violent fantasies about stalking a girl home from school,
abducting and raping her.
And this is a kidfluencer?
Yeah.
And I found similar content about Australian child influencers.
We're not going to put our kids in short shorts and midriff tops
on a dark street corner in King's Cross in the middle of the night
to see what kind of response they get from young men,
but we're doing the same in the online world
where there are literally millions of people.
But we seem to think that there's a degree of safety
because they're online,
but there's just a different kind of harm.
The harm isn't just limited to the online world.
NEWS PRESENTER: She's a 15-year-old...
In the US, Ava Majury had garnered a following of one million people
when one of her fans began stalking her.
NEWS PRESENTER: There's been a gunfight at someone's home...
Her stalker was an 18-year-old young man, NEWS PRESENTER: There's been a gunfight at someone's home...
Her stalker was an 18-year-old young man,
and he followed her on social media
and, uh...
..became obsessed with her.
When he tried to break into the family's home,
When he tried Ava's father shot him dead.
I reacted, and I reacted...
Perfectly.
..as best as I could.
This would be the pinnacle of fears coming to reality.
Some companies appear to be benefiting
Some companies from the predatory behaviour.
Several platforms, including Instagram,
are allowing parents
to sell exclusive videos and photos of their children.
to sell exclusive videos and photos (UP-BEAT MUSIC PLAYS)
BrandArmy is one.
Similar to OnlyFans,
it's a subscriber-based site
that allows people to pay creators
in exchange for accessing
their content,
but there's no nudity or sex.
(DANCE MUSIC PLAYS)
At this pre-launch party in LA
BrandArmy was promoting both its adult and child creators.
Think about it -
who on earth wants to pay
for content featuring children?
Four Corners has found dozens of teenagers with accounts on BrandArmy,
with some charging $100 a month to subscribe.
CARLA HILDEBRANDT: So, here's this influencer from the US.
She's a young teenager,
and there's a number of photos of her in a string bikini.
Oh, wow. OK. So, she's really very young.
And that bikini, as you say, it's a string bikini
And that bikini, as you say, and she's pouting at the camera.
The photo, the way it's set up,
it's more like how you would imagine an adult model would pose.
It's... It's not how you would think
that a young girl would pose.
And, so, you can see here the person running her account has commented.
People are paying up to $100 to access her account,
and there's the option to pay more for extra photos.
So, here you can pay $40 for more bikini shots.
I know for a fact So, here you can pay $40 for more bikini shots.
I know for a fact
that there are many parents who know exactly what's going on,
and they wilfully turn a blind eye,
justifying the means by the ends, whether it's fame or profit.
And I found Australian girls
who have parent-run accounts on BrandArmy.
who have parent-run accounts So, this is Australian kids
getting payment for content that they're putting on this site?
getting payment for content This girl -
for $30 a month, subscribers get exclusive pictures and videos
and behind-the-scenes content,
and they can also talk to her privately for a fee per message.
Many of the photos of the young teenager
are in tight clothes or midriff tops.
Hundreds of photos are available from her parent-run account.
In a bizarre list of terms and conditions for junior creators,
BrandArmy has said there can't be more than 50% bikini content
on kids' channels. can't be more than 50% bikini content
on kids' channels.
You also must be over 18 to look at it.
I wouldn't mind showing you one of these accounts, if that's OK.
I wouldn't mind showing you It's of an Australian girl.
If you just flick through there, you can see.
Gross.
This is a child.
This is selling and commodifying
your child's innocence.
And we're never going to be able to sterilise the internet.
These images will follow this young woman throughout her life.
We've found at least 10 accounts that have similar content on BrandArmy.
When Four Corners alerted the company,
it removed some of the material.
BrandArmy has stopped signing up new kids,
but the existing accounts are still active.
Instagram also says it's stopping paid content of children,
but Four Corners is aware of some child-influencer accounts
that are still charging for photos and videos.
We need the platforms to be taking more responsibility. that are still charging for photos and videos.
We need the platforms to be taking more responsibility.
We need the platforms They're creating the hunting grounds
on which these paedophiles
are seeking out and sexualising our children
and, worse, grooming and exploiting them.
According to US court documents,
Meta estimates that about 100,000 children
using Facebook and Instagram
receive online sexual harassment every day.
They're all driven by profit motive,
and sex has always sold.
They have the ability to detect sexualised comments,
but, the more explicit the imagery of the young people,
the more attention they get, the more likes they get,
the more attention they get, the more dollars they get.
So, there is a real perverse incentive
even in the way social-media companies are structured
even in the way social-media and the way that influencers
or the parents who are influencing their children
or the parents are incentivised
and monetise that engagement online.
Meta said:
It says:
Making sexual comments online and generating sexual images of children
can be a criminal offence in Australia.
HELEN SCHNEIDER: It could include an AI-generated image or a real photo.
It also includes text stories, HELEN SCHNEIDER: It could include an AI-generated image or a real photo.
It also includes text stories,
and what I mean by that,
if people are having and what I mean by that,
if people are having sexualised conversations,
you know, about an image,
then of course there is a risk,
that could hit a legal threshold of what is child-abuse material.
We all need to look at those on a case-by-case basis.
But Kym and Zoe say, despite complaining to state police
about their daughters being targeted,
about their daughters they were told nothing could be done.
At the moment
the eSafety Commissioner can only issue takedown notices
to online companies
about clear cases of child sex abuse.
We don't have the powers we need
to tackle the harms We don't have the powers we need
to tackle the harms that are happening right now.
So, specifically around the sexualisation of children online
So, specifically around and I guess this grey area,
would you like to see and I guess this grey area,
would you like to see the act expanded?
I think it's something that we should look at.
It needs to be something
that's effective, implementable It needs to be something
that's effective, implementable and achievable.
I mean, there may even be criminal elements to this
if a parent or an adult is exploiting a child
to the extent that it's putting them in harm's way.
Um...
Is just a banning of that adult enough
or is there a dereliction of parental duty?
I think these are all things we need to talk about,
and we do need to draw a line somewhere.
And then put it on that flat end.
And now cut it in half.
Kym says she did everything she could to protect Bobbi.
Use the kind of end of the knife. That's a girl.
Do you feel like your mum kept you safe online?
Do you feel BOBBI: Oh, like, 100%.
She'd be, like, blocking people, she would delete the comments
and she never made a big thing out of it.
and she never made a big thing Oh, my God, my eyes.
Like, I never would even know about this stuff.
Oh, dear. I could have a bath in that.
My mum put so much time and effort in,
My mum put so much so, I think I'm really grateful
that she got it to the point that it was.
A little bit more. Ohh!
Do you feel that this account and being a kidfluencer,
Do you feel that this account has that set you up for your future?
Yeah, I know that it actually has that set you up for your future?
Yeah, I know that it actually really has, um...helped almost
because I do have a larger following.
because I do have And in the dance industry
it is, I think even just in most industries,
like, um...
..like, social media is a really important part of it.
And I think it's actually really helped me
And I think get out there and be noticed.
Hi, guys. It's Ava.
Welcome back to the live that I'm going to do.
Zoe says she too
has been doing everything she can Zoe says she too
has been doing everything she can to keep her daughter safe.
has been doing everything she can At the end of the day,
she's decided the positives Ava gets out of social media
outweigh the risks.
Do you think there's a chance Ava could look back on this one day
Do you think there's a chance Ava and regret it?
She may. She may not.
I don't think she'll regret it.
She may come to a point in her time where she says,
"Mum, I've had enough. I don't want to do it."
Um...
You know, "Let's not do it anymore," or "Let's," you know...
And that's completely fine, that's...that's her choice.
And that's completely fine, (WAVES CRASH)
These kids are going where no generation has gone before.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Oh, you're doing well.
Yeah. You're doing good.
The repercussions of having such a big social-media profile
The repercussions of having are yet to be fully known.
But, for others, it's clear it's already come at a cost.
LYN SWANSON KENNEDY: I am horrified
that as a society, as a community,
we have failed these girls,
and I suspect
they will in many cases be wondering,
they will in many cases "Where are the adults?"
"Where were the adults that were supposed to protect me?
"And why didn't they?"
JULIE INMAN GRANT: We're creating imagery
that will pervade and follow them forever.
Many of these children
may not have agency, they may not have consent.
They certainly don't have the cognitive development
to know what this means,
what they're doing today, what this might mean for them tomorrow.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYS)
Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation