28th يناير 2026

Online sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States: An analysis of policy gaps, system response and prevention mechanisms

Online sexual exploitation and abuse (OSEA) remains widespread in the United States, yet survivors continue to face legal, institutional and systemic barriers to justice. This report brings together lived experiences, legal analysis and policy review to assess how current frameworks respond to OSEA, where they fall short, and what must change. It builds on Equality Now’s work on ending online sexual exploitation and abuse and complements international standards on digital safety and accountability. Developed with the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA), the report offers concrete, survivor-centred recommendations to strengthen prevention, improve system responses, and ensure meaningful protection and redress.

What’s inside the report?

  • An overview of online sexual exploitation and abuse in the US legal and policy context
  • Analysis of gaps in US federal and state laws, regulations and enforcement
  • Lived experiences illustrating how survivors experience OSEA and encounter barriers to protection and justice
  • Assessment of prevention mechanisms, system responses, and accountability pathways
  • Evidence-based recommendations to strengthen legal, policy and institutional frameworks

Who’s it for?

  • Policymakers and legislators at the US federal and state levels
  • Government agencies and regulators, working on online safety and digital rights
  • Justice actors and law enforcement
  • Civil society organisations and survivor advocates
  • Legal practitioners and researchers
  • Technology companies and platform governance stakeholders
  • UN agencies and UN member states
  • Other CSOs within and outside of the US

Key takeaways and recommendations

Equality Now recommends urgent, coordinated action to address the legal, policy and systemic gaps that allow online sexual exploitation and abuse to persist in the United States, including:

  • Strengthening and harmonising laws to ensure all forms of online sexual exploitation and abuse are clearly defined, effectively prohibited, and consistently addressed across federal and state frameworks.
  • Embedding survivor-centred approaches in reporting, investigation and justice processes, including accessible complaint mechanisms, trauma-informed responses, and meaningful access to remedies and support services.
  • Clarifying institutional roles and accountability by strengthening coordination between law enforcement, regulators, prosecutors and child and survivor protection services to prevent fragmentation and inaction.
  • Enhancing prevention and platform accountability, including by implementing stronger safeguards, transparency obligations, and due diligence requirements for technology companies to prevent, detect and respond to online sexual exploitation and abuse.
  • Ensuring policies are informed by lived experience and international human rights standards, recognising the intersecting harms faced by survivors and aligning US responses with global norms on digital safety, equality and access to justice.

Explore more resources

1

2

3

South Asian Movement for Accessing Justice: Call to action on ending sexual violence in South Asia

A regional call to action urging governments in South Asia to address legal and systemic barriers to justice for survivors of sexual violence.

Legal response to sexual violence in Pakistan: Challenges in enforcement and access to justice

Equality Now’s report analyses gaps in Pakistan’s rape laws and justice system response, with recommendations to strengthen enforcement and survivor access to justice.

Progress and backlash: Accountability for the rights of women and girls – Words and Deeds update, March 2026

A global update mapping legal progress and rising backlash against women’s and girls’ rights, with recommendations to strengthen accountability and protect hard-won gains.

Newsletter Sign-up

Make a donation

I want to donate