Manila, April 3 -- Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Thursday decried the continued proliferation of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM) online, calling out tech companies for failing to prevent their platforms from being used to advertise and distribute such content.

"There is no question that the abuse and exploitation of children has been made easier by modern technology," Hontiveros said in her opening statement during the Senate hearing on the implementation of the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-CSAEM Act of 2022.

The hearing aims to examine new trends in the creation and spread of CSAEM, evaluate whether internet companies are complying with their responsibil...