More than 1,000 people have been charged by police in Denmark after Facebook's new reporting tool caught on to sexually explicit videos involving two teenagers being shared on its platform.
According to Mashable, the two people in the video were 15 years old. Although this is the legal age of consent in Denmark, the sharing of the explicit video could still constitute as child pornography since the victims are under 18. The video was reportedly first shared on Facebook Messenger, and subsequently passed on hundreds of times. As a result, a total of 1,004 young people have been charged, 800 of whom are male.
The news comes as Facebook rolls out its pilot program to stop revenge porn and image abuse in its tracks. Thanks to the development of photo-matching technology, the social media platform's safety team can spot suspicious content and prevent additional uploads before they're able to be shared.
"It's a very big and complex matter that has taken a long time to investigate," said police inspector Lau Thygesen from North Zealand Police in a press statement. "Not least because of the large number of charged. We have taken the case very seriously as it has major implications for those involved when such material is spread. And it must be stopped."
If found guilty of distributing the indecent images, anyone among the accused could be listed for 10 years on a register of child pornography offenders or face jail time. A Danish police superintendent said the charges should serve as a warning to young people never to share sex videos.
