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Thorn

Thorn
38
Teens on the beach
Child Sexual Abuse MaterialResearch
December 9, 2020

Thorn Research: Understanding sexually explicit images, self-produced by children

We’ve been hearing increasing concerns from our partners on the front lines about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) where there was no obvious abuser in the image. These images are referred to as self-generated images, or self-generated CSAM (SG-CSAM).  Self-generated…
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Thorn
13
Young girl looking at phone
News
November 19, 2020

Encryption trend threatens child safety gains

Today, Google announced plans to begin rolling out encryption for Android Messages. As experts working at the intersection of technology and child protection, we understand the real-world impact of this decision will be a step backwards in child safety. The…
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Thorn
36
Thorn Team
November 12, 2020

Thorn turns 8: Some of our proudest, and favorite, moments so far

8 years ago, Thorn was a vision with a mission statement: Thorn drives technology innovation to fight the sexual exploitation of children.  It wasn’t always clear what exactly Thorn would become. That’s what happens when you’re shocked and humbled by…
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Thorn
33
Child Sex TraffickingChild Sexual Abuse Material
October 6, 2020

Decoding the language of child sexual exploitation: Acronyms to know

There’s no question that talking about this issue is extremely difficult. But to make progress it’s a conversation we must have more often. Bringing it into the light and talking about the facts is a powerful way to advocate for…
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Thorn
4
Child Sex Trafficking
September 29, 2020

How to find the truth behind viral stories around child sexual exploitation

When we came to work on this issue, we made a choice that we would be willing to have difficult conversations and make hard choices. We knew how difficult this topic would be. But if you're like millions of people…
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Thorn
15
Child Sex Trafficking
September 17, 2020

5 facts about child sex trafficking that will help you make a difference

At Thorn, we knew from the beginning that our work would require having difficult conversations and making hard choices. When you’re dealing with child sexual exploitation, there is no easy language to use, nor any off-the-shelf solutions. Recently the issue…
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Thorn
86
Man in front of computer.
Child Sexual Abuse Material
July 1, 2020

What to do when you find CSAM or evidence of child sex trafficking online

In the year 2000, just about half of all American adults were online. Today, nine-in-ten adults use the internet in the United States, according to Pew Research Center. And in 2020, Americans, along with the rest of the world, are…
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Thorn
26
Close up of computer code on a monitor.
NewsTechnology For Good
February 11, 2020

Meet the new anti-grooming tool from Microsoft, Thorn, and our partners

What you should know about this new anti-grooming technique   Technology is a powerful tool—one we can decide to use to keep children safe online. At Thorn, we believe in building a world where children can interact with technology and…
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Thorn
62
Two young girls with skateboards surrounded by Thorn branding.
Child Sex TraffickingPrevention
January 28, 2020

5 ways you can help to defend children from sex trafficking right now

We know the feeling well. When this issue hits you, it hits you hard, and your first thought is: “What can I do to help?” By choosing to learn more about this issue, you’ve already taken the first step towards…
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Thorn
22
Child Sex TraffickingYouth At Risk
January 17, 2020

How vulnerabilities increase child sex trafficking risk

Addressing child sex trafficking takes a very particular set of skills. However, depictions in films like Taken don’t hold up when we start talking about what sex trafficking actually looks like. There are certainly victims being forcibly held against their…
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