If you are in any online spaces that discuss the morality of fiction or its censorship, please keep the following in mind:
CSAM refers to Child Sexual Abuse Material. This is a term that was created for use by US federal law enforcement. As such, it is important to remember that this is a term used specifically to describe illegal sexual content that is produced involving real children. the term CSAM was specifically constructed to highlight the trauma these victims experience because of this abuse, and therefore their humanity.
if you come across CSAM online, you should immediately report it to a tip line. Some websites that host their servers in the US are subject to US federal law even if the person who posted it does not currently reside in the US, so keep that in mind when reporting. again, this is involving CSAM - it is illegal sexual content involving real children.
CSEM refers to Child Sexual Exploitation Material. This is material that involves a real child in a sexualized situation, but either 1- the material itself is not illegal to possess, or 2- the material is not sexualized, but is included in a series or other content that does contain CSAM. Think along the lines or a parent with a few too many photos of their child in the bath. These images are not explicitly sexual, and are not illegal in and of themselves, but they can be used exploitatively.
If you come across CSEM online, it's still a good idea to send in a tip as well as alerting the website it was posted on. Even if the content itself isn't technically illegal, some websites do have strict rules regarding nudity and the sexualization of minors, which can help stop the spread of such materials and reduce the impact on the affected child.
CSAM and CSEM are words used to describe the assault, abuse, sexualization, and exploitation of real children. CSAM, specifically, is used as a way to identify and remove these materials.
CSAM and CSEM do not apply to fiction. They don't apply to any fictionalized or simulated child abuse or sexualized children. They only refer to real children.
Do not send in tips about fictionalized child abuse or sexualized children to tip lines meant to be used for CSAM.
Do not use the words CSAM and CSEM when discussing fictionalized child abuse or sexualized children. In a worst case scenario, it leads to people misusing tip lines due to a conflation of CSAM with fictionalized depictions.
In a more likely scenario, using CSAM to refer to fiction minimizes what CSAM was created to do - which was highlight the trauma experienced by survivors, and therefore draw attention to their humanity. By continuing to use these terms in situations that do not involve real people, it reduces that impact.
