Together, we’re transforming how children are protected

As the end of the year approaches, we’re reminded of the power of our donors that makes progress possible. This year, our community proved that progress is unstoppable when we act together. Our work in 2025 addressed some of the toughest challenges facing children in the digital age:

• The misuse of AI to generate sexual abuse material
• The threats of sextortion and grooming
• The urgent need to build safety into technology from the start

We faced these challenges, determined to spread awareness and create impact. As we look back, we prepare for what’s ahead. Every action we take continues to shape a safer digital world for children.

Defending children from emerging AI threats

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, and new threats to children are emerging. This year, Thorn strengthened a global effort to ensure the generative AI industry develops with child safety at its core.

Our research revealed a growing harm: AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AIG-CSAM) and deepfakes that cause real trauma for real children. We helped center the experiences of young people and victims in the conversations our society is having around these new technologies. These generative AI platforms aren’t harmless experiments. They’re tools that can re-victimize survivors and endanger kids at scale.

But we didn’t stop at raising awareness. Thorn convened leading AI companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, to adopt Safety by Design for Generative AI principles. This development framework embeds child protection into the foundation of AI models. What began as an urgent conversation became a coordinated movement. We’re united with industry leaders to prevent AI from harming children.

Our leadership also extended to policy. Thorn was one of the civil society organizations contributing to the EU AI Act Code of Practice, the EU’s first major regulatory guidance for AI. Our recommendations helped secure key wins. The regulation requires companies to document their process for removing CSAM from training data and treat it as a systemic risk to mitigate, not ignore.

These efforts resonated around the world. This year, Thorn experts briefed policymakers in the U.S., U.K., and EU. The White House recognized our work as part of national efforts to combat image-based sexual abuse. When we act together, we can shape even the most complex technologies to protect children.

Groundbreaking research that shaped the conversation

The State of Sextortion Report uncovered the devastating impact this crime is having on victims. The data was staggering, indicating an urgent need to address this growing form of exploitation. Our findings showed these aren’t isolated incidents but a systemic threat demanding immediate action.

Youth Perspectives 2024 elevated the lived experiences of young people as they navigate their online world. Their stories revealed how perpetrators target younger boys online. It also showed how certain risky exchanges are being normalized among peers. These insights are already guiding new prevention messaging and tools that speak to the realities today’s youth face.

The Commodified Sexual Interactions Involving Minors report examined how technology and culture are reshaping risk for youth online. From the commodification of sexual interactions to the expanding gray areas of consent online, our research gave policymakers and tech leaders the insights they need to intervene early, design safer platforms, and build protections that meet kids where they are.

Together, these reports advance our understanding of online experiences. They’ve sparked conversations among families, business leaders, and lawmakers. Every report proves that research can change the trajectory of child protection.

Scaling protection through innovation

Technology accelerated many of these threats, but it is also key to solving them. This year, Thorn continued to build tools that turn innovation into protection. We’re helping investigators and platforms move faster to protect children everywhere.

Thorn Detect is a significant milestone in that pursuit. This digital forensics solution helps investigators identify child victims faster. The tool reduces review time, exposure to harmful content, and burnout. What once took weeks can now happen in hours. We’re giving investigators precious time to focus on finding and protecting children in harm’s way.

For former dark web investigator Pete Manning, that impact is personal. After years of working in child sexual abuse cases, Pete saw firsthand how overwhelming caseloads can take a toll on the most dedicated professionals. By dramatically reducing the manual burden of sorting through massive content libraries, Thorn Detect gives investigators the time and resilience to find more child victims faster.

Our innovation also expanded detection capabilities through a new Spanish-language text classifier. This feature empowers platforms to detect more instances of potential grooming and sextortion. This multilingual expansion means protection for more children in more communities.

Our cause community powers each advancement we build. Every innovation proves that hope can scale as fast as harm, and that technology can be a force for good.

Partnering for prevention and empowerment

This year, Thorn met kids where they are and gave them the tools to navigate digital spaces safely.

Our work with Snapchat brought a new safety resource directly to teens. We consulted on the creation of The Keys: A Guide to Digital Safety. This interactive guide helps young people recognize and respond to sextortion, image sharing, and cyberbullying. The guide includes short videos, reflection exercises, and conversation tools for families. The goal is to open honest, judgment-free discussions about online experiences before harm occurs.

The NoFiltr Youth Council took this peer-to-peer approach even further. Designed by youth, for youth, the council created safety resources for Roblox players. Their creativity and authenticity make prevention relatable and honest. This effort shows that young people aren’t just participants in this movement; they’re leading it.

When we partner with platforms and youth, we give kids more than information. We provide them with agency. Every empowered choice brings us closer to a world where children can safely explore, learn, and grow online without the threat of exploitation.

A new era for Thorn’s mission

This year marked a bold new chapter in Thorn’s story, one that reflects how far we’ve come and how far we’re ready to go.

We introduced Thorn’s updated mission statement and four pillars of child safety:

• Research and insights
• Technical innovation
• Child victim identification
• Platform safety

Together, they form the foundation of our vision for a digital safety net that protects every child. We work toward interconnected layers of protection for children across technology, policy, and our communities.

This evolution is a reflection of what we’ve built together. Donor trust and partner collaboration have made Thorn’s progress possible. Every breakthrough in technology, every research insight, every new safeguard began with the people who chose to believe that protecting kids and a joyful childhood is worth building for.

With your help, we’re not just responding to emerging threats — we’re shaping the systems that have the power to prevent them. With every innovation and partnership, we’re transforming how children are protected in the digital age.

But there’s still work to do, and now we know what’s possible when we stand united.

During this giving season, join us in building the digital safety net every child deserves. Your support fuels the technology, research, and partnerships that make protection possible and ensures that every child can grow up safe, curious, and free.