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Month: June 2024

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Press Release: Safe Online awards $10 million to 23 new grantees to join the fight against digital harms 

Press Release

Safe Online awards $10 million to 23 new grantees to join the fight against digital harms

New York, 26 June 2024: In a significant stride toward safeguarding children in the digital age, Safe Online is making a $10 million investment across 23 projects aimed at combatting online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) and related digital harms.  

Online digital harm is increasing at an alarming rate exposing children to unprecedented risks. As per the latest Childlight data, one case of online child abuse is reported every second. The Internet Watch Foundation noted 2023 as a ‘record year’ for child sexual abuse with an 8 per cent increase in the number of child sexual abuse imagery found online from the previous year. New and emerging technologies like Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (ER) are turbocharging the rate of abuse, generating child sexual abuse material at a scale and speed never seen before.  

To combat the growing threats in the digital space, Safe Online launched a global call for proposals in 2023. After a rigorous selection process, 23 grantees have been selected to receive USD 10 million. These 23 new projects, from across the world, are poised to achieve maximum impact by supporting work across multiple sectors to protect children from online harms. The projects aim to strengthen systems, key infrastructure and services and create incentives for action through changing norms, policies and regulations. Projects will create and promote a global evidence base to support the ecosystem and develop innovative tools to reduce barriers to access to cutting-edge technologies in the online safety space and promote tools that are shareable, adaptable and create efficiencies in online CSEA prevention and response efforts at all levels.  

Grantees include international organisations, child protection NGOs and CSOs, research and tech organisations and include a range of innovative projects – from looking at vulnerability of children in crisis situations to online sexual abuse and developing educational resources for protection; exploring the link between online scamming call centers and the financial sexual extortion of minors; developing advanced tech tools for helplines to better understand and combat online (CSEA), and making counselors more effective in protecting children to developing tools for law enforcement to respond and prevent online abuse. Read more on the new projects here 

The new investment grows Safe Online’s investment portfolio to USD 100 million across 106 projects with impact in 100 countries and accelerates Safe Online’s globally important role as a catalyst for new solutions to combat digital harms.  

"Safe Online is the only global investment vehicle dedicated to keeping children safe in the digital world. With these new investments, we are empowering changemakers worldwide to create a safer, brighter online future for every child. Together, we are not just responding to online harms – we are reengineering the internet for the next generation"
- Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director, Safe Online

With the launch of the new awardees, Safe Online has announced another global Open Call for $ 5 million. To invest most effectively in the most burning issues in the online CSEA ecosystem, the 2024 Open Call is focused on innovation and high impact. 

For more information 

Tahseen Alam

Communication Specialist, Safe Online 

Tahseen@SafeOnline.Global  

Meet the new grantees

See more of our recent updates

ChildFund International

January 10, 2024

Our grantees ChildFund International Countries involved:October 2017 – October 2019 ChildFund Kenya’s Safe CLICS project will address key gaps by increasing OCSEA awareness, building children’s and youth’s online safety skills, improving service providers’, schools’, communities’, parents’ and caregivers’ abilities to detect and respond to OCSEA, strengthening Kenya’s national framework and improving

Read More »

University of Bristol

January 9, 2024

Our grantees University of Bristol Ai-based Advances for Law Enforcement’s Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Southeast Asia Countries involved:Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Lancaster will enhance iCOP, the research team’s artificial intelligence software. iCOP was created to flag new or previously

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What is digital safety and how do we measure it?

June 11, 2024

A recent white paper by the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety highlights the critical need for assessing digital safety. It provides a roadmap to navigate the complexities of measuring digital safety in the context of ongoing technological advancements and evolving regulatory frameworks.

Read More »
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Safe Online awards $10 million to 23 new grantees to join the fight against digital harms 

Safe Online awards $ 10 million to 23 new grantees to join the fight against digital harms

The digital world is becoming increasingly unsafe for children and young people. Data from the past year, has prompted child protection organisations to sound an alarm for 2023 as a ‘record year’ for child sexual abuse reports with analysts finding more child sexual imagery than any year previously – more than 275,000 reports -up 8% from the previous year. 

New trends emerge, such as financial sexual extortion, while threats like online grooming and child ‘self-generated’ sexual material continue to grow. Additionally, new emerging technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (ER) pose new risks for the safety of children online.  

To combat the growing threats in the digital space, Safe Online launched a global call for proposals in 2023. After a rigorous and thorough selection process, 23 grantees have been selected to receive USD 10 million. The new investment grows Safe Online’s investment portfolio to USD 100 million across 106 projects with impact in 100 countries and accelerates Safe Online’s globally important role as a catalyst for new solutions to combat digital harms. 

The investment award projects under a ‘whole system’ approach by supporting work across multiple sectors to achieve maximum impact.  

“With a $10M boost, Safe Online is supercharging efforts to protect kids from digital harms. Our new investments are empowering changemakers worldwide to create a safer, brighter online future for every child. Together, we're not just responding to online harms – we're reengineering the internet for the next generation."
- Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director, Safe Online

Grantees have been awarded under three different pillars:

Networks and Systems: Projects will strengthen systems, key infrastructure and services and create incentives for action through changing norms, policies and advanced regulation. 

Research and data: Projects will create and promote a global evidence base to support the ecosystem, increase alignments of efforts, and maximise their impact. 

Technology Tools: Projects will reduce barriers to access to cutting-edge technologies in the online safety space and promote tools that are shareable, adaptable and create efficiencies in online CSEA prevention and response efforts at all levels. 

Meet the new grantees

See more of our recent updates

Press Release: Survivors of childhood sexual violence seek urgent action to ‘redesign’ the internet to protect children

July 22, 2024

Press Release: July 17, 2024 [LONDON]: Today, survivors of childhood sexual violence will address the escalating threat to children’s lives posed by online abuse, and call for action to ‘redesign’ the internet and protect children ahead of the first ever global Ministerial on the issue in November 2024. This is a pivotal moment to redefine the digital world for children, ensuring that technology is used for their benefit and never for their harm.

Read More »

International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children & Child Helpline International

January 9, 2024

Our grantees International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children & Child Helpline International Implementing the Model National Response Collaborative Approach to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Five Countries Countries involved:Jordan, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania, Philippines In addition, the project is creating eLearning modules, which will ensure continuous learning for

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Press Release: Safe Online Proudly Announces the Launch of the Second Edition of the Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

April 24, 2025

Press Release: April 3, 2025

Safe Online is proud to announce the launch of the Second Edition of the Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, a comprehensive resource aimed at improving the accuracy, sensitivity, and consistency of language used in the fight against child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Read More »
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Meet the new Safe Online Grantees

Safe Online invests an additional $10 million to combat digital harms

Meet the new grantees

To combat the growing threats in the digital space, Safe Online launched a global call for proposals in 2023. After a rigorous and thorough selection process, 23 grantees have been selected to receive USD 10 million. The new investment grows Safe Online’s investment portfolio to USD 100 million across 106 projects with impact in 100 countries and accelerates Safe Online’s globally important role as a catalyst for new solutions to combat digital harms.  

Read more about the innovative new projects

Capital Humano y Social Alternativo  

Building resilience in the native communities of the Peruvian Amazon: Systemic model for the prevention and care of online CSEA in Loreto region, Peru

Children lead a comprehensive strategy to identify situations of alarm and risk of CSE online in Amazon communities. A systemic model is proposed where the community, private company and local government build a support network that facilitates the identification of cases, reporting, support and timely access to care and protection services. 

Child Helpline International 

Voice Up Africa! Child Helplines Disrupting Online Harms 

Child Helpline International, along with seven African child helplines, enhances capabilities to tackle OCSEA through infrastructure upgrades, training, awareness raising, partnerships, and research. 

ECPAT International 

Promoting participatory-based evidence to protect children on the move and affected by crisis from online sexual abuse and exploitation 

ECPAT International leads a research initiative focused on the digital safety of children on the move and affected by crisis, aiming to understand digital risks and influence safer policies. 

GamerSafer 

DefenderNet: A unified, open source system enhancing safety in third-party server ecosystems 

DefenderNet introduces an open-source reporting system for online games and social platforms with independently managed servers, aiming to centralize harmful conduct reports and empower moderators to enhance player safety. 

Hintalovon Child Rights Foundation – ECPAT Hungary  

Seeing the unseen – Researching online sexual violence against children in V4  

“Seeing the unseen” research aims to support advocacy efforts to prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in V4 countries by providing crucial data and improving mandatory reporting mechanisms. 

International Justice Mission 

Nexus of Sextortion and Online Scams 

Using NCMEC data, IJM will explore the link between online scamming call centers and the financial sextortion of minors, providing recommendations for more effective law enforcement and early tech sector detection to prevent victimization. 

International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) formerly known as PIER Anglia Ruskin University 

‘Dity online’: Experiences, knowledge and behaviours of Ukrainian children and their parents in relation to the risk of online sexual abuse during the Russian war in Ukraine. 

The ‘Dity Online’ project collaborates between Ukraine and the UK to understand the impact of the Russian war on Ukrainian children’s vulnerability to online sexual abuse and develop educational resources for protection. 

International Center LA STRADA 

Safer Internet Center in Moldova: Structured and coordinated framework of response to online child sexual abuse and exploitation 

Safer Internet Center Moldova is dedicated to addressing ineffective response to online child sexual abuse and exploitation in Moldova, this project strengthens the national response through legal framework enhancement and community empowerment. 

INHOPE         

Global Standard Project 

INHOPE implements the Universal Classification Schema to automate CSAM categorization, train stakeholders on content assessment, and expedite inter-jurisdictional data sharing for swift CSAM removal. 

International Telecommunication Union

A Global Network to Expand the Reach and Effectiveness of Online Safety Education

The project aims to enhance online safety education. Involving stakeholders from the Global South, it will create an extensive & fit-for-purpose resource repository to prevent cyber abuses & threats against children, encouraging them to seek help during attacks & ensuring they feel safe online.

 Kindred Tech 

Cloud-Enhanced Digital Governance and Regulatory Framework (CEDAR) 

The CEDAR Project equips law enforcement agencies and NGOs with cloud-based tools to enhance responses to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), addressing technical, legal, and perceptual barriers. 

Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse 

Philippines Adaptation and Dissemination of Responsible Behavior with Younger Children: A Curriculum to Prevent and Address Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Related Forms of Harms. 

Moore Center’s project adapts the Responsible Behavior with Younger Children curriculum for the Philippines, equipping teens and educators to prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse. 

Mtoto Newz International Ltd Brand Name – Mtoto News 

It’s A FACT 

It’s A FACT is a participatory action research aiming to understand digital literacy among African children aged 9-17 in Malawi, Kenya, and Mali, informing the Africa Child Online Safety Model Law. 

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

Innovative Data: Harnessing Machine Learning to Combat & Eradicate Child Sexual Exploitation 

NCMEC’s Innovative Data project will deploy natural language processing and machine learning techniques on the largest dataset of child victimization to uncover critical trends and predictive behavior patterns. This will help accelerate victim recovery, transform global response, and prevent future child sexual exploitation.

Rigr AI 

Morrigan – Pic2Geo. Software tool built with Open Domain Image Locatisation and AI. 

Law enforcement, victim identification specialists, and NGOs collaborate using Morrigan – Pic2Geo to safeguard victims of CSEA by identifying potential locations of images or videos, aiding in successful investigations. 

SEED Foundation 

Preventing and Responding to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Iraq 

SEED’s program strengthens legal and institutional frameworks in Iraq to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse, equipping government and NGOs to respond effectively and empowering children and caregivers through awareness efforts. 

South West Grid for Learning 

Exploring child friendly reporting platforms for online abuse. 

Utilizing SWGfL’s expertise, this project aims to adapt existing infrastructure into a child-friendly reporting platform for online abuse, empowering children to report harmful content safely and fostering a secure online environment. 

Stanford Internet Observatory 

Law Enforcement and the Online Child Safety Ecosystem 

Researchers will embed with law enforcement to investigate challenges in handling reports of online child sexual exploitation, leading to policy recommendations for improved investigation outcomes. 

UNICEF Senegal 

Strengthening the national protection system to prevent and respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse in Senegal 

UNICEF Senegal’s project empowers children and communities and strengthens the national child protection system to prevent and respond to online exploitation and abuse in Senegal. 

Tech Matters 

The Power of AI and Data for Understanding Online CSEA 

Aselo empowers helplines with advanced data, visualization, and AI tools to better understand and combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), making counselors more effective in protecting children. 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan

Protecting children from online violence, abuse and exploitation in Kazakhstan 

UNICEF Kazakhstan aims to fortify defenses against online child abuse by empowering communities, parents, and children, creating a safer digital world for all.

UNICEF HQ – Child Protection Programme Team

Child-centred multidisciplinary services for victims and survivors – models of good practice for the digital age 

Models of Good Practice for the Digital Age project aims to understand and improve child-centred multidisciplinary services for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation in low- to upper-middle-income countries, with a focus on digital aspects of abuse.

World Vision Brazil

Amplifying children and adolescents’ safety online 

iSmart360 empowers youth to navigate the web safely, countering online exploitation and fostering a community-wide dialogue on digital security. 

Images: Safe Online/Vincent Tremeau

See more of our recent updates

Oficina De Defensoria De Los Derechos De La Infancia (ODI)

January 10, 2024

Our grantees Oficina De Defensoria De Los Derechos De La Infancia (ODI) Representing Child Victims of Online Sexual Exploitation in the Legal System Countries involved:Mexico Since January of 2017, the Fund has helped Mexico’s Child Rights Protection Office (Oficina de Defensoria de Los Derechos de la Infancia, or ODI) strengthen the capacity

Read More »

Middlesex University

January 9, 2024

Our grantees Middlesex University Invisible Risks: Combating Secondary Trauma to Safeguard Children Countries involved:United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland We know that online child sexual abuse material is highly damaging to children. But today, little primary research exists about the impact such material has on content moderators –

Read More »

Internet Watch Foundation

January 9, 2024

Our grantees Internet Watch Foundation Reporting Portal Project Countries involved:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland With support from the Fund, the Internet Watch Foundation is progressing its mission to eliminate child sexual abuse from the internet by working in 30 countries – the majority of which are in Africa – to

Read More »
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What is digital safety and how do we measure it?

What is digital safety and how do we measure it?

A new white paper by WEF’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety offers a roadmap

A recent white paper by the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety highlights the critical need for assessing digital safety. It provides a roadmap to navigate the complexities of measuring digital safety in the context of ongoing technological advancements and evolving regulatory frameworks. 

Accurate measurement of online safety is crucial for creating a safer and more reliable digital environment. It supports informed decision-making, guides policy development, and raises awareness of digital safety issues among all stakeholders. 

However, measuring digital safety is not an easy task – fundamentally, digital safety involves preventing and minimising harm in the online environment. This includes moderating illegal or harmful content, promoting responsible platform design and governance, and empowering users to customise their digital experiences. This is especially complicated in a fast-evolving environment with rapid technological advances and regulatory interventions.  

Given the complexity, the white paper proposes a set of metrics grouped into three basic categorisations to most meaningfully measure digital safety.  

3 Metrics for Digital Safety
  • Impact: Metrics that illuminate the impacts on individuals and provide insights into characteristics and patterns of lived experiences. 
  • Risk: Metrics that enable the detection and mitigation of potential harms. 
  • Process: Metrics that cover the approach, implementation and outcomes of systems relating to digital safety.  

These categorisations are not meant to be comprehensive and instead offer a guiding framework for tracking and measuring digital safety. Read the white paper here 

Images: Safe Online/Vincent Tremeau

See more stories from our family of grantees

End violence hosts its 10th global knowledge exchange webinar

July 6, 2020

On 17 June, End Violence held its 10th Global Knowledge Exchange Webinar, which gathered 117 individuals from partner and grantee organisations around the world. This webinar, the third event held in 2020, focused on integrated, child-centred frameworks for investigation, rehabilitation and recovery for survivors of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Read More »

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We are here to ensure every child and young person grows in to the digital world feeling safe, and is protected from harm.

We support, champion, and invest in innovative partners from the public, private, and third sectors working towards the same objective.

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