We refuse to live in a world where the technology exists to help kids but simply isn’t being used. We build powerful products, lead new programs, maintain essential resources, and develop awareness campaigns to attack the issue from all sides. Technology must be part of the solution.
Getting the best advantage into the right hands.
Our work is guided by three principles.
accelerate
victim identification
equip
platforms
empower
the public
accelerate
We identify critical technical needs and produce tools that allow law enforcement to stay ahead of perpetrators and identify more children.
Since 2016, Spotlight has helped law enforcement find kids faster. Our flagship product was developed based on the insights gained from our first survivor survey. Spotlight accelerates victim identification and helps law enforcement make the best use of the critical time they have to focus on finding more child sex trafficking victims.
10
kids per day identified on average
60%
reduction in critical search time daily
14,874
victimized kids identified in total
equip
Many small and mid-size companies do not have the resources or knowledge to implement child safety procedures and tools, making their platforms vulnerable to abusive content and behavior. We offer resources and tools for companies to help protect kids on their platforms.
Our first step in equipping platforms is the Sound Practices Guide, offering best practices and concrete steps to for companies of all sizes to help protect kids on their platforms, including the Industry Hash Sharing program and PhotoDNA.
making platforms safer
Thorn’s commercial product, Safer, is the first comprehensive solution for platforms to identify, remove and report child sexual abuse material.
empower
Here’s where we share what we’ve learned. It’s all about preventing further abuse. We’re getting the word out – increasing awareness and starting conversations.
stop sextortion campaign
Our latest campaign seeks to increase awareness about sextortion, destigmatize the issue, and encourage individuals to reach out for help and support their friends.
Deterrence
With the sheer volume of illicit child abuse material online, law enforcement isn’t equipped to find and identify all the people searching for this content. The result is that people search and share with a seemingly low risk of getting caught. We work to intercept this behavior and change it – reducing the demand for abuse content overall.
Research
Understanding the complexities of the intersection of technology and child sexual abuse allows us to develop the best interventions – from the democratizing effects of technology to the way abusers use social media, to the stories of victims themselves on the road to recovery. Research lies at the core of everything that we do.