Lianna McDonald
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liannamcdonald.bsky.social
Lianna McDonald
@liannamcdonald.bsky.social
Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection @cdnchildprotect.bsky.social - a global leader in the protection of the world's children. All children matter!
The most popular social media platforms that we use every day weren’t designed with children’s safety in mind – delaying teens’ access is a completely necessary step to help shield them from escalating levels of online abuse and exploitation.

Great work Julie Inman-Grant & eSafety Commissioner👏👏
December 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Proud to see Canada moving the needle to better address the harms and violence that victims and survivors experience every day.
Echoing C3P's Monique St. Germain this morning: Bill C-16's proposed amendments to the Criminal Code would help better support victims and survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation. C3P has long supported changes such as these - Canada is making important progress!
December 9, 2025 at 9:34 PM
What a truly important day in Ottawa with @kohiyamam2024.bsky.social and Rosalia Rivera.
In front of a group of Interior & security ministers from Canada & other G7 nations, I was given the opportunity to share the dark realities survivors and victims of online child sexual exploitation face daily.
November 24, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Proud to see the Government of Manitoba committing to strengthening the Intimate Images Act in today's Speech from the Throne! We look forward to our continued collaboration to better protect victims and survivors of image-based abuse in Manitoba.

news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archiv...
Province of Manitoba | News Releases | From Promise to Progress: Manitoba Government Presents Throne Speech
Province of Manitoba
news.gov.mb.ca
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This Toronto Star podcast unpacking online harms to kids is a must listen. Special focus on sextortion & sexual exploitation in eps 5 & 6 w/ stories of survivors/victims in their own words. A jarring reminder of what's happening in homes across Canada.
Listen here: www.thestar.com/podcasts/lef...
Left to their own devices podcast
Today's technology has redefined childhood and adolescence. We gave children the most powerful tools in human history. Then, we left them to their own devices.
www.thestar.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Absolutely heartbreaking piece. Full episode will be released tonight at 8 p.m. ET on CBC.

How many more Canadian children will be taken from us before we start forcing online platforms to stop sextorters from preying on our kids?

www.cbc.ca/news/marketp...
Sextorters are targeting young boys online — and flaunting how rich the scam is making them | CBC News
There's a network of overseas scammers targeting and blackmailing teens, and in some cases driving them to suicide within hours of falling into a trap known as sextortion. CBC's Marketplace created fa...
www.cbc.ca
October 3, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Lianna McDonald
Every report to Cybertip.ca has the potential to help protect countless children impacted by online sexual violence.

For #Cybertip.caAwarenessDay, learn more about risks to children online and how you can support your kids at Cybertip.ca.
September 26, 2025 at 2:30 PM
X has the power to make this woman's suffering go away with the push of a button, but they refuse to simply do the right and moral thing. Reprehensible, I simply have no words. Canadian law makers: take careful note of this case.

www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Elon Musk's X faces Canadian fine for not removing non-consensual intimate images
A Canadian civil tribunal has fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X for its refusal to comply with an order to remove a non-consensual intimate image, a decision published last week showed.
www.reuters.com
September 10, 2025 at 8:12 PM
“Our abuse is being shared, traded, and sold on the app you own. If you would act without hesitation to protect your own children, I beg you to do the same for the rest of us.”

A message published by the BBC from a CSAM survivor to X’s Elon Musk. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Child sex abuse victim begs Elon Musk to remove links to her images
BBC investigation finds US victim's images are traded globally by an operator based in Indonesia.
www.bbc.com
August 26, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Lianna McDonald
“How much worse does the problem need to get before [tech] are finally going to step up and help?” – Survivor of child sexual abuse material.

Listen to the finale of Arachnid, which explores the impact tech regulations could have on survivors, here: open.spotify.com/episode/2tmV...
Ep 6: Showdown
Arachnid: Hunting the web’s darkest secrets · Episode
open.spotify.com
June 24, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Heartbreaking words from a survivor in today's Arachnid episode: “It dawned on me that my worst nightmare has occurred. That this had spread everywhere, & that anyone at any time could go & view it if they wanted, & that I am never ever going to escape from it.”

open.spotify.com/episode/4Pip...
Ep 4: On the Hotseat
Arachnid: Hunting the web’s darkest secrets · Episode
open.spotify.com
June 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM
All of us @cdnchildprotect.bsky.social look forward to continuing to work with the federal government to support online child protection measures and welcome the opportunity to contribute critical information to further strengthen this bill at the committee stage 👏
protectchildren.ca/en/press-and...
STATEMENT: the Strong Borders Act would help streamline Canada’s police response to online crimes against children
Statement on behalf of Lianna McDonald, Executive Director for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection
protectchildren.ca
June 4, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Rob Cribb beautifully weaves heartbreaking emotion and powerful hope through survivors’ experiences in this week’s episode of Arachnid. Thank you for the care and attention you bring to reporting on these issues Rob ❤️ @ijbstories.bsky.social

Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/7Mi9...
Episode Three - The Evidence Catcher
Arachnid: Hunting the web’s darkest secrets · Episode
open.spotify.com
June 3, 2025 at 3:52 PM
“After I disclosed, I was able to find out through law enforcement about how those videos had been spread on the Internet, and that day was one of the hardest days of my life.”

For a reality check on what's happening online to children listen to: www.tvo.org/podcasts/ara... @ijbstories.bsky.social
TVO Today | Current Affairs Journalism, Documentaries and Podcasts
www.tvo.org
May 27, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Lianna McDonald
📣The first 2 episodes of @tvotoday.bsky.social's "Arachnid: Hunting the web's darkest secrets" are out now! C3P's Lianna McDonald and Lloyd Richardson join host Rob Cribb to unpack how Project Arachnid helps pave the way in the battle against CSAM.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
Arachnid: Hunting the web’s darkest secrets
True Crime Podcast · Weekly Series · What if the worst thing that ever happened to you plays out every day, countless times, on anonymous computer screens all over the world.  Everyday tens of millio...
podcasts.apple.com
May 27, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Important information sharing this week with our visitors Dr. Michael Salter, Dr. Elly Hanson, Professor John Rouse & Jim Cole. We’re extremely appreciative of your dedication & passion for researching child sexual exploitation online and helping us move the needle to protect the world’s children.
May 26, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Lianna McDonald
If your child ever goes missing, we can help. Get the guidance you need or help bring a child home by visiting MissingKids.ca. #MissingChildrensDay2025
May 25, 2025 at 3:10 PM
C3P's technology director Lloyd Richardson and I had the opportunity to speak with @ijbstories.bsky.social's Robert Cribb about how technology like Project Arachnid is necessary to curb the distribution of CSAM online. That conversation will be featured in a new podcast coming May 27th.
Coming soon: Our new podcast, Arachnid: Hunting the web’s darkest secrets in collaboration with TVO, Piz Gloria Productions and the Toronto Star is launching on all platforms on May 27.

Stay tuned and listen to the trailer: www.tvo.org/podcasts/ara...
TVO Today | Current Affairs Journalism, Documentaries and Podcasts
www.tvo.org
May 20, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Congratulations to Prime Minister @mark-carney.bsky.social and the new Cabinet! We look forward to working with the PMO and the Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, to advance critical efforts to protect children from sexual exploitation & to keep them safe online and offline. #cdnpoli
May 14, 2025 at 7:54 PM
We are so proud of the work we do, and this exhibit gives us an opportunity to showcase the impact our organization is having on the well-being of children in Canada and around the world.
A new installation highlighting the 40-year history of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s (C3P) work to safeguard the rights of children has been unveiled at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Learn more: protectchildren.ca/en/press-and...
May 8, 2025 at 8:31 PM
With the election behind us, we now look ahead to a pressing issue in Canada — safeguarding children in online spaces. We look forward to working with this new government & all newly elected & re-elected MPs to ensure Canadian children are better protected online. protectchildren.ca/en/press-and...
STATEMENT: Canadian Centre for Child Protection congratulates all members of the 45th Parliament, reminds parties of their campaign commitments to online child safety
Statement on behalf of Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection
protectchildren.ca
May 1, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Candace’s legacy is present in every call for help we receive, every child and family we assist, and every step we take to make the world a safer place for children.

Happy anniversary @cdnchildprotect.bsky.social !
40 years ago our organization was founded by Wilma Derksen. After her daughter Candace was abducted & murdered, Wilma wanted to provide a safe & supportive space for families of missing children. Four decades later, we remain true to our original mission to support children & families in distress.
April 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
At yesterday's trial, the 13-year-old girl who was abducted and sexually abused by this man shared a victim impact statement that conveyed how this horrific abuse and exploitation impacted her.

I leave you with her ardent words: I deserve to be free. He does not.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
U.S. man sentenced to 50 years in prison for sexually abusing, abducting 13-year-old Edmonton girl | CBC News
Noah Madrano pleaded guilty in January to two felony charges, admitting to sexually abusing an Edmonton teenager that he contacted over the internet, then met her in person and took her over the U.S.-...
www.cbc.ca
April 9, 2025 at 7:33 PM
This level of violence against children online is disgusting and horrifying. We need legislation in place to hold the tech companies that host these groups accountable for the irrevocable harm they’re causing children.
www.cbc.ca/newsinteract...
This violent extremist network targets kids online
An Alberta teen was trapped inside an online extremist network that the RCMP says is ‘unlike anything’ its counterterrorism unit has ever seen.
www.cbc.ca
March 24, 2025 at 8:25 PM
As we continue the fight against online child sexual exploitation, the support we receive from our incredible partners like Public Safety Canada is crucial in what we do. We look forward to continuing the work of making the online space a safer one — together. www.canada.ca/en/public-sa...
Government of Canada invests in protecting children and youth from online sexual exploitation - Canada.ca
Today, the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, announced $39.7 million in federal funding to protect children and youth from online sexual exploitation.
www.canada.ca
March 21, 2025 at 7:40 PM