VATICAN CITY
Reuters
October 6, 2017
The Pontiff argues filters and algorithms are not enough.
Pope Francis told executives of leading internet companies on Friday to use “their great profits” to defend children from sexual exploitation and other dangers lurking online.
The pontiff, speaking at a conference in Rome, said the Catholic Church needed to accept responsibility “before God, victims, and public opinion” for its own sex abuse scandals, but wanted to share the lessons it had learned.
Speaking to participants including representatives from Facebook (FB, +1.67%) and Microsoft (MSFT, +1.37%) , he said social media businesses had to do more than set up filters and algorithms to block harmful content.
The 80-year-old pope spoke out against the spread of extreme pornography, the dangers of so-called “sexting” between young people and between adults and children, and cyber bullying, calling it “a true form of moral and physical attack.”
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