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Author: Tahseen Alam

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From Pledges to Protection

Protecting Children in the Digital Age – A Global Dialogue on Digital Safety

In an era where digital technology permeates every aspect of children’s lives, the digital threats impacting their safety have never been greater. The recent Digital Dialogue on Children’s Digital Safety, co-hosted by Safe Online, WHO, and UNICEF, brought together over 250 global stakeholders—governments, survivors and youth leaders, civil society, and experts—to transform commitments into tangible action. The dialogue served not only as a platform for sharing strategies but also as a call to action to maintain momentum from the first-ever global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children in Bogota, Colombia in 2024.  

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A Moment for Reflection and Urgency

Opening the event, Sabine Rakotomalala, World Health Organization shared key objectives for the event -to offer a platform for stakeholders to share their implementation strategies and promote best practices across the pledges and to maintain the momentum for the next ministerial Conference that will take place at the end of 2026. 

Speaking at the event, Serena Tommasino, Senior Technical and Advocacy Lead at Safe Online, reminded the audience that while the 2024 Bogota Conference laid a critical foundation, real protection depends on building strong structures on that foundation.  

Serena detailed the vast scope of threats children face—ranging from grooming and cyberbullying to mental health challenges—all exacerbated by technologies like generative AI and immersive platforms. Despite Safe Online’s $100M+ investment across over 100 countries, she warned that funding remains dangerously insufficient. As a response, Safe Online, together with key partners, introduced a new coalition on Financing Safe Digital Futures, aiming to bring together donors, governments, and the private sector to catalyze sustainable investment and close the global funding gap. 

Youth Voices Lead the Way

Marie Mokuba, representing the Global Youth-led Movement on Ending Violence Against Children, issued a strong plea for genuine inclusion of young people—not just in consultation, but at the core of policymaking. She stressed the need for including marginalised voices right from the start – at the data collection phase; intergenerational dialogue, and continuous feedback loops to ensure that digital safety solutions evolve alongside the technology they seek to regulate. 

Survivor leader and advocacy lead at the Marie Collins Foundation, Rhiannon-Faye McDonald offered a deeply personal account of online grooming and abuse, underscoring the life-long trauma it can cause. “We wouldn’t build a playground full of broken glass and blame the child for getting hurt. So why do we allow this online?” Her call was clear: hold tech companies and governments accountable and shift responsibility from children to adults and institutions with the power to protect them. 

Governments Respond with Action

Representatives from Brazil, the Philippines, Kenya, and Kazakhstan reflected on progress and challenges in implementing the Bogota pledges: 

  • Barbara Flores, Executive Director of the National Coordination Center against Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse at the Department of Justice, Philippines stressed the need for sustainable financing and international collaboration.
  • Carren Agengó, Principal Secretary, State Department for Children Services in Kenya called for public-private collaboration for investment, data driven interventions, centering children’s experiences and for prioritising preventive rather than reactive measures.
  • Dinara Zakiyeva, Commissioner for Child Rights, Kazakhstan outlined investments in cybercrime investigations and school-based safety education, as part of their national programmes.
  • Fábio Hardman, Director of Child and Adolescent Protection, Brazil called for intersectional collaboration and emphasized child-centric governance, where the best interests of the child are integrated across all legal and policy frameworks.

     

Legal and Regulatory Tools Are Evolving

Marie-Eve Nadeau from the 5Rights Foundation provided a global overview of legislative trends, reinforcing the message that “a digital world that is safe by design and not risky by default, is possible”. She pointed to a growing momentum, from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (General Comment 25), to an evolving ecosystem of global and regional guidance including the Global Digital Compact adopted at the UN in 2024. The African Union Child Online safety and empowerment policy was also adopted last year. There are promising national laws like the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code, which are inspiring similar regulatory frameworks across continents. “We can no longer accept a digital world where children’s well-being is an afterthought,” she said. 

Building on this, Afrooz Kaviani Johnson of UNICEF emphasized the need for legal systems to keep pace with digital threats. She outlined recent developments like the new UN Cybercrime Convention and the EU’s updated directive on child sexual abuse, calling for comprehensive, future-proof laws that criminalize emerging harms, including AI-generated CSAM. At the same time, she stressed that “laws alone are not enough – implementation needs to be supported. It depends on operational tools, education, and sustainable resourcing.” 

Driving the Dialogue Forward
As digital risks to children grow more sophisticated, so must our response. From youth advocates and survivor leaders to government officials and legal experts, the dialogue made one thing clear: we know what works - now we need the will to act.
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12 new countries join flagship global initiative to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse

December 8, 2023

In today’s increasingly digital world, the internet has become an integral part of children and young people’s lives, providing enormous opportunities for communication, education and entertainment. At the same time, it can also present a serious threat to their safety and well-being. Unfortunately, there is very little solid evidence available on the scale of these risks, which groups of children are more likely to be harmed, and where or how this happens.

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Learning, Networking And Visioning A Safe Digital Future:

June 21, 2022

On 30-31 May 2022, End Violence’s Safe Online initiative brought together over 40 grantees and partners from across the world alongside donors, and industry representatives from the Tech Coalition in a unique opportunity aligned around a common vision to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).

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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

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 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. The updated guidelines will officially launch at a global webinar on April 10, 2025, at 13:00 GMT.

Safe Online proudly participated in the development of the new guidelines, alongside ECPAT, Childlight|Global Child Safety Institute, the WeProtect Global Alliance and a diverse group of global organisations and entities representing different sectors. The updated edition reflects the latest insights and best practices in child protection, offering refined definitions and language to improve how professionals, policymakers, and the media refer to cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse and contribute to ensuring no child is hurt by the words of the professionals they meet. 

Key Updates in the Second Edition 

The Second Edition includes updated definitions and guidance on key terms related to child sexual exploitation and abuse, including: 

  • Avoid victim-blaming language: Encouraging the use of survivor-centred and blame-free language that respects how individuals define their experiences and does not shift the blame on children. 
  • Online Exploitation: Expanded coverage of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse, including grooming, sexting, and livestreaming. 
  • Perpetrator Language: There are more precise distinctions between adult perpetrators of sexual crimes against children and children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour. 
  • Harmful Terms: A repeated call to eliminate terms like “child prostitute” and “child pornography”, which misrepresent the nature of the abuse and shift blame onto victims. 

The guidelines also provide greater attention to intersectionality, gender identity, and LGBTQI+ considerations, ensuring that language reflects the diverse realities of child survivors and those at increased risk of sexual exploitation. 

A Collaborative Global Effort 

The updated guidelines were developed through an extensive collaborative process involving over 40 global organisations, including survivor advocates, legal experts, and child protection professionals. The Interagency Working Group combined diverse expertise and perspectives to create a globally relevant and adaptable resource that reflects the evolving nature of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Download the Guidelines
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UNICEF Office of Research Innocenti (Disrupting Harm) 2

January 9, 2024

Our grantees UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti (Disrupting Harm) Disrupting Harm 2 Countries involved:Italy Disrupting Harm is a large-scale data collection and research project to better understand online child sexual exploitation and abuse across the world. This study is assessing the scale, nature and context of this issue in

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Safe Online Network Forum Latin America & the Caribbean

January 15, 2025

As 2024 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year marked by both immense challenges and significant opportunities in safeguarding children in an increasingly digital world. The rapid evolution of technologies—such as Generative AI and extended reality platforms—has reshaped our digital landscape, offering immense potential but also exacerbating the risks children face online. While these technological advancements promise to change lives for the better, they also outpace our collective ability to protect children from harm, presenting critical questions about how we mobilize the necessary resources to respond.

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UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO)

January 9, 2024

Our grantees UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) Generate evidence and accelerate regional commitment and collaboration to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in East Asia and the Pacific Countries involved:Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines (the), Viet Nam UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific Regional Office

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2024: A Year of Urgency, Vision, and Partnership in Safeguarding Children Online

2024: A Year of Urgency, Vision, and Partnership in Safeguarding Children Online

As 2024 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year marked by both immense challenges and significant opportunities in safeguarding children in an increasingly digital world. The rapid evolution of technologies—such as Generative AI and extended reality platforms—has reshaped our digital landscape, offering immense potential but also exacerbating the risks children face online. While these technological advancements promise to change lives for the better, they also outpace our collective ability to protect children from harm, presenting critical questions about how we mobilize the necessary resources to respond. 

This year, we saw a growing consensus among policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society on the need for global collaboration to create a safer, more ethical digital future. Discussions around AI ethics, governance, privacy, and child safety have expanded beyond niche circles, signaling progress. Governments have begun stepping up with regulatory frameworks aimed at mitigating harm, safeguarding privacy, and ensuring accountability. However, we know regulation alone is not enough. 

Closing the investment gap: a call to action

The single greatest barrier to achieving a safe, inclusive, and ethical digital future for children is the chronic underfunding of the field. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), in particular, faces a significant—and worsening—funding gap. Despite the growing awareness of the risks children face online, investment in solutions has not kept pace with the scale or complexity of the problem. 

To implement the bold, innovative vision we need, governments, industry, and frontline actors must commit to increasing funding and resources. We must clearly articulate the financial and resource demands of protecting children online and rally stakeholders to recognize that these investments are vital—not only for child protection but for a safer, healthier digital ecosystem. 

This is not just about responding to harms—it’s about scaling prevention, building infrastructure, and enabling cross-sector collaboration. Without sustained, meaningful investments, our vision for a safe digital world will remain out of reach. Let 2025 be the year we close the funding gap and begin to match our ambitions with the resources they deserve. 

Strengthening the links: a holistic approach

Children do not experience online harm in isolation. Evidence increasingly shows that online CSEA is inextricably linked to broader issues such as mental health challenges, gender-based violence, extremism, peer-to-peer abuse, and violations of children’s online rights. Yet, these intersections are often overlooked in discussions about digital safety and child protection. To make meaningful progress, we must shift our focus upstream—addressing protective and risk factors holistically and investing in prevention as much as response. 

This means integrating online safety into broader conversations about children’s rights in the digital age and embedding their voices and lived experiences into everything we do. By addressing the root causes and interconnected risks children face, we can work toward a future where children not only survive but thrive online. 

Innovations, open solutions and collective impact

Tackling online harms will also require bold, risk-taking investments in technology tools, new approaches, and open-source solutions that benefit the entire ecosystem. The system as a whole—governments, industry, civil society, and frontline actors—must collaborate to create shareable, scalable tools that drive progress. 

Equally critical is the need to invest in the evidence and data infrastructure that underpins these solutions. Reliable, accessible, and actionable data from all sectors is a cornerstone for improving interventions, developing new tools, and driving effective research. Building this foundation will help us create smarter, more coordinated responses to the complex and evolving threats children face. 

A shared mission amid global uncertainty

All of this work unfolds against a backdrop of geopolitical challenges and conflicts that have tested the resilience of children worldwide. From wars and famines to economic instability and global displacement, children have borne the heaviest burdens of this year’s crises. These realities underscore the urgency of our mission. 

Yet, amidst these challenges, 2024 has also been a year of collaboration and progress. At Safe Online, we’ve forged impactful partnerships, championed survivor- and youth-centered approaches, and pushed for digital safety to be recognized as a critical element of global child protection agendas. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our donors, partners, and grantees. 

Looking ahead with purpose

As we close this year, I carry a deep sense of hope—but hope alone is not enough. To ensure that 2025 brings safety, equity, and opportunity to every child, we must act with purpose. I appeal to all who share this vision to join us in scaling our efforts: through advocacy, funding, and bold action. Together, we can create a future where every child, everywhere, is safe, empowered, and free to thrive—both online and offline. 

Let us move forward with resolve, united in our commitment to a safe digital future for children and young people. 

Read: Wrapping up 2024
See more stories from our family of grantees

12 new countries join flagship global initiative to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse

December 8, 2023

In today’s increasingly digital world, the internet has become an integral part of children and young people’s lives, providing enormous opportunities for communication, education and entertainment. At the same time, it can also present a serious threat to their safety and well-being. Unfortunately, there is very little solid evidence available on the scale of these risks, which groups of children are more likely to be harmed, and where or how this happens.

Read More »

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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GenAI & Child Online Safety: Shaping a Safer Digital Future Together

Gen AI and Child Online Safety

Tech Coalition and Safe Online: Funding innovative research on Gen AI

The Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund is going into its fourth year!

Ongoing collaboration between Safe Online and the Tech Coalition will center the Research Fund’s efforts on generative AI , ensuring we make meaningful progress in this critical area. While this year’s funding is at a smaller scale than past years – USD$220K – we are applying a more targeted approach for amplifying impact by honing in on one topic and applying the approaches and structures for industry-researcher engagement that we have jointly built over the past three years.

An Anticipatory Step Supporting Independent Research

The Tech Coalition and Safe Online identified a crucial need as GenAI is rapidly developing, to increase the sparse research landscape on the intersections of GenAI and online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).

The first project, announced at the Tech Coalition’s UK generative AI briefing, will be led by the University of Kent. The study will build on the work Kent has begun as part of the first cohort of the Research Fund with increased collaboration with tech industry. The focus will be on the proliferation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and its potential impact on attitudes, norms, and behaviors among those who engage with CSAM. This research will also explore how the ecosystems of prevention and perpetration may respond to these emerging threats.

We are now pleased to announce two further projects for award under this funding round that approach this topic from a critically important perspective: children and young people’s experiences.

Youth Voices on AI: Shaping a Safer Digital Future

This project aims to directly engage children and youth in shaping AI development and regulation, particularly around online CSEA prevention. Led by Western Sydney University’s Young and Resilient Research Centre, the initiative will gather youth perspectives on AI, develop a “Youth Constitution for AI,” and inform policymakers about young people’s views on AI-related risks and safeguards.

The core focus of the project is aligning AI development with the values and safety concerns of young users. By understanding how youth perceive AI’s benefits and risks, particularly in relation to CSEA, the project will provide key insights for ethical AI development and governance. This initiative seeks to not only prevent online harms but also foster a generation of young people informed and engaged in shaping the future of AI.

GenAI misuse: Child-centered perspectives on risks and harms

This project, led by SaferNet Brasil, focuses on addressing the rising misuse of generative AI tools to create and share CSAM and self-generated explicit content by teenagers. 

By involving adolescents in semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops, the project aims to create a nuanced understanding of these emerging practices and inform the development of child-centered safety policies. The findings will be shared with tech companies, enabling them to improve safety strategies, provide risk mitigation tools, and address the misuse of AI for harassment and exploitation. The project will also use findings to raise awareness through advocacy, with a focus on preventing online exploitation and fostering child participation in these efforts.

Moving Forward: New Opportunities for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

We must build an evidence base that assesses the effectiveness of mitigation strategies and identifies the most reliable tools for managing the risks and benefits of genAI, especially focusing on children as well as offenders or those at risk of offending.

This round of the Research Fund marks a critical development in understanding the benefits for children and young people of genAI technologies as well as the risks associated with AI-generated content, and these projects are kicking off now through the beginning of 2025. The goal is to foster collaboration among key stakeholders—ranging from child safety advocates to law enforcement and tech companies—ensuring that the potential dangers of genAI are met with informed, actionable responses.

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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.

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Press Release: Survivors and allies demand urgent action to prevent digital harms and keep children safe online

Press Release

Survivors and allies demand urgent action to prevent digital harms and keep children safe online

World leaders urged to seize historic opportunity at the inaugural Global Ministerial on Ending Violence Against Children to make bold commitments to create a safe digital world for children and young people

November 6, 2024 [Bogota, Colombia]:

Today, survivors and allies came together to demand urgent action from world leaders to address the growing threat of online child abuse and ensure a safe digital future for children.

Safe Online, the Brave Movement, and WeProtect Global Alliance, along with 15+ partners, hosted the Satellite event ‘Safe Digital Futures for Children’. The event, held at the margins of the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, aimed to build momentum and urge governments to end all forms of violence against children, including online violence.

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UNICEF Kenya

January 10, 2024

Our grantees UNICEF Kenya Developing and Implementing a National Plan of Action to Prevent and Respond to Online Child Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:October 2017 – October 2019 With support from the Fund, UNICEF Kenya enhanced national capacities to prevent and respond to online child abuse and exploitation. The project has improved

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Safe Online Network Forum Latin America & the Caribbean

January 15, 2025

As 2024 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year marked by both immense challenges and significant opportunities in safeguarding children in an increasingly digital world. The rapid evolution of technologies—such as Generative AI and extended reality platforms—has reshaped our digital landscape, offering immense potential but also exacerbating the risks children face online. While these technological advancements promise to change lives for the better, they also outpace our collective ability to protect children from harm, presenting critical questions about how we mobilize the necessary resources to respond.

Read More »
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A historic opportunity to protect children from digital harms: Open Letter

A historic opportunity to protect children from digital harms.

This is a joint open letter by Daniela Ligiero, Co-founder of the Brave Movement; Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director of Safe Online; and Iain Drennan, Executive Director of WeProtect Global Alliance

Every day, technology dominates headlines-whether it’s the rise of generative AI, the growth of immersive experiences, or the influence of algorithms on our daily lives. But behind the excitement, there’s a darker story that needs urgent attention: the safety of children and young people in the digital world. In 2023 alone, over 300 million children worldwide were victims of online abuse and sexual exploitation. By the time you finish reading this, nearly 500 more children will have experienced abuse online. This is an urgent crisis that demands immediate action.

Rhiannon-Faye McDonald was just 13 years old when she experienced online abuse. Groomed online by a man posing as someone else, she was lured into sending intimate photos, which quickly became tools for blackmail. The nightmare escalated when he arrived at her home the next morning, to continue the sexual abuse in person. Now an advocate and survivor of technology-assisted child sexual abuse, Rhiannon-Faye is on a mission: to drive a coordinated, global response to online sexual violence. She speaks for the countless children who have suffered in silence, reminding Governments and tech companies of their responsibility to act. “No child should ever have to experience what I went through,” she says.

Rhiannon-Faye McDonald was just 13 years old when she experienced online abuse. Now an advocate and survivor of technology-assisted child sexual abuse, Rhiannon-Faye is on a mission: to drive a coordinated, global response to online sexual violence. “No child should ever have to experience what I went through,” she says.

Today’s children are online at increasingly younger ages, growing up in a digital environment that’s as integral to their development as physical spaces like homes and playgrounds. And yet, while we work tirelessly to ensure physical spaces are safe for children, the digital world remains a minefield. Without proper safeguards, children are exposed to risks like grooming, exploitation and sexual extortion—threats that can cause lifelong trauma and have serious physical, mental and social consequences. A report from Spain highlights the staggering cost of inaction, with the country losing $5 billion annually by failing to address sexual abuse of children. Globally, the problem is worsening, and the risks are mounting.

In Colombia alone, the national Cyber Police Center blocked over 19,000 pages hosting child sexual abuse material in the first half of 2023. The Te Protejo hotline, run by Red PaPapaz, a Safe Online grantee, has seen a steady rise in reports, receiving nearly 35,000 images of violations since 2016. This illustrates a horrifying reality: online violence against children is a borderless crime that affects children of all genders and reaches every corner of the world. Research, such as the global Disrupting Harm project, shows that boys and girls face these dangers in nearly equal measure. Experts and child rights advocates are sounding the alarm, insisting that this growing crisis be treated with the same urgency as a global pandemic.

Our survivor-informed Call to Action outlines the steps for ending online violence against children

In just a few days, over 100 global leaders will gather in Bogotá, Colombia, for the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children. This event, co-led by the governments of Colombia and Sweden alongside organisations like WHO, UNICEF, and the UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children, offers a pivotal moment to address digital harms against children. For the first time, global leaders will be asked to commit to ending childhood sexual violence, a critical step in the fight to protect children in all spheres, including the digital realm. The decisions made here will shape the future of child safety for years to come.

Our organisations—Safe Online, the Brave Movement and WeProtect Global Alliance—along with 15 other child rights groups, will host a satellite event called ‘Safe Digital Futures for Children’ on the margins of the conference. This event will be a rallying cry for governments to demonstrate their commitment to ending all forms of violence against children, including online violence. Our survivor-informed Call to Action outlines the steps needed to make this vision a reality.

We are demanding that governments enact bold, globally aligned legislation that prioritises children’s safety and wellbeing. Such laws must be tech-neutral, adaptable to future threats, and capable of addressing emerging risks. We also need sustainable funding and investment in public health and prevention strategies that can tackle the root causes of online child exploitation. Crucially, the voices of children and survivors must be at the centre of policy development, ensuring that those most affected by these crimes are guiding the response. Governments must also mandate that online service providers adopt safety-by-design principles and quickly remove child sexual abuse material from their platforms.

Next week’s conference in Colombia is a critical opportunity to ensure that promises made by global leaders are backed by action. Governments must prioritise digital safety in their violence prevention strategies, recognizing that online violence is a global health crisis demanding a comprehensive response. Their commitments to protect children must be backed by concrete, well-funded policies. Without a strong focus on digital safety, efforts to combat violence in the digital space will remain fragmented, leaving children vulnerable to preventable harm.

Ministers have a unique opportunity to lead by example and set the standard for how the world should tackle digital violence against children. The pledges and commitments made here will reveal the true extent of political will to address this urgent issue. Will governments rise to the occasion and make the bold commitments needed to create a safer digital world for children, or will they let this moment slip away?

We are confident that global leaders understand the gravity of the crisis and will seize this historic opportunity to make real, impactful change. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.  We owe it to the 500 children, who suffer abuse as you read this, and the millions more at risk around the world. Now is the time to act, to fulfil the promise of a safer digital future for every child.

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Call to Action: A digital world safe for every child

July 10, 2024

Safe Online joins survivors, allies and global child protection organisations to call upon all States, the tech industry and other relevant stakeholders to prevent and end the sexual exploitation and abuse of children online and create a safer digital future for every child.

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Recap – Safe digital futures for children: Data for change

Recap: Safe digital futures for children - Data for change

Interested to join the next Data for Change event on November 26? Apply here for an opportunity to attend.

In October 2024, the Data for Change community gathered in London for a two-day technical workshop, bringing together over 40 experts from government, tech companies, civil society, and academia. The event focused on strengthening the global data ecosystem for online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) and fostering collaborative solutions to improve the use of data to protect children online. Participants engaged in interactive sessions to refine the online CSEA ecosystem map, address barriers to data flows, and generate ideas for building more robust data infrastructure. The workshop also highlighted successful initiatives and identified concrete outputs to drive the community’s work forward to building a safer digital world for children.

Mapping the Data Ecosystem: Gaps and Opportunities

One of the workshop’s key activities was examining the visual ecosystem mapping of the online CSEA data ecosystem that was commissioned by Safe Online. Participants reviewed different stages of the data lifecycle—Governance, Collection, Storage, Sharing, Processing and Use—highlighting what was working well and where critical gaps persisted. 

Key Findings

  • Governance: There is a strong need to ensure that data efforts are centred on the lived experiences of children, survivors, and parents. Major blockers include differing jurisdictional laws and the lack of a global narrative around online CSEA. A positive example is the use of the Luxembourg Guidelines for aligning terminologies across sectors.
  • Data Collection & Storage: The quality of data and inconsistency in classifications across countries regarding what data is collected and how it is used remains a challenge. Additionally, the efficiency of data collection needs improvement—better tools are required to streamline processes and prioritise important data gaps without overwhelming systems.
  • Sharing & Processing: While some organisations have developed strong quality assurance frameworks, challenges persist around interoperability and trust in sharing data. One positive example is the Better Deal for Data, which has developed trust standards for data sharing.
  • Use: A key priority is maximising the reach and utility of data, particularly in making insights accessible to policy makers, industry, activists and survivors through simplified, clear communication.

Breaking Down Barriers: Navigating the PESTLE Framework

Participants also explored the Political, Economic, Societal, Technological, Legal, and Environmental (PESTLE) barriers that affect the online CSEA data ecosystem. This session encouraged reflection on how these barriers impede progress and potential ways to address them. 

Some key insights: 

Collaborating for Success: Good Practices from the Field

A panel featuring experts from Childlight, SVRI, WeProtect, and the Tech Coalition showcased successful collaborative efforts around data usage. Panellists shared their experiences in navigating complex data landscapes and highlighted how partnerships between tech companies, civil society, and governments can drive progress.

Equity: Ensuring all Voices are Heard

The workshop also tackled the issue of equity—asking whose voices are missing from the data ecosystem and how to ensure greater representation. Discussions highlighted the importance of involving children, young researchers, and underrepresented communities in shaping the data narrative.

Key insights:

  • Inclusion of non-English-speaking online spaces and local voices in data collection is crucial for a more representative and inclusive global picture.
  • Participants emphasised empowering children and young researchers to engage in data collection from the ground, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  • There were calls for regional meetings to ensure accessibility, as well as the creation of a “People’s Panel” to involve communities more directly in data equity discussions.

The Way Forward: Prioritising Actions for a Better Future

To conclude the workshop, participants engaged in a collaborative exercise to prioritise barriers and identify solutions with the most potential impact and feasibility. Discussions ranged from specific data use cases—such as surveys and criminal justice reports—to broader, cross-sector data applications.

Example of particular action items highlighted:

As we move forward, these priorities will shape the agenda for the Data for Change Virtual Convening 2024, on Tuesday, 26 November, where we join forces once more to address the most pressing challenges in the online CSEA data ecosystem. 

Participants will have the chance to engage with experts across sectors, contribute to refining the community’s roadmap, and explore new opportunities for partnerships and collective action.

While spaces are limited to maintain the interactive, participatory dynamic of our convenings, we want to continue to expand our community.

Interested to join the next Data for Change event on November 26? 

Apply Here for an Opportunity to Attend

Learn more about the Data for Change journey to date: 

Images: Safe Online

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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.

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Recap blog- 2024 Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Convening

Recap: 2024 Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Convening

A space for learning, translating and making connections

The Tech Coalition and Safe Online were proud to host the 2024 Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Convening in London on October 1. Over 50 attendees were present, representing all 13 grant projects from the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund as well as more than a dozen leading tech companies. The Convening successfully combined research insights with industry expertise to drive outcomes that will protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

Insights from Experts

During the event, attendees heard from numerous expert panelists from both industry and academia. Industry members shared their thoughts on topics such as the value of independent research and what makes research actionable. In many cases, actionable research answers a relevant and defined research question, and is valuable as solid evidence when making the case for certain child safety changes.

Researchers were able to answer questions about how they determine research questions and methodology, as well as how they view their interplay with industry. They generally strove to fill gaps in the existing literature, with the work fully centered on protecting kids. Researchers commonly highlighted the need for cooperation with industry, with them being capable of implementing recommendations and informing future research projects.

Each Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund grantee was also given an opportunity to share an update on their research progress. Projects from the Fund cover a diverse range of topics, from moderator wellness to grooming prevention to deterrence and help seeking and much more. These presentations were followed with lightning round small group discussions for attendees to dig in further to each project.

Impact of the Research Fund

Panelists and speakers also discussed the impact of the Research Fund, further showcasing its role in advancing online child safety research. Based on conversations with researchers, they highlight how the Fund has enabled impact in the following key areas:

  1. Global Community Building & Collaboration: Connecting grantees across regions, fostering partnerships and knowledge sharing.
  2. Academic & Industry Integration: Bridging academic research with industry, promoting access to industry and practical collaboration.
  3. Institutional Strengthening & Broadening: Expanding grantees’ scope and capacity for larger projects.
  4. Policy & Public Awareness Impact: Influencing national, regional policies and raising public awareness on online child safety.
  5. Addressing Gaps in the Evidence Landscape: Filling research gaps, especially in underserved areas and emerging issues.

Workshopping Applications and Action

The centerpiece of the Convening was a series of interactive workshop discussions in diverse small groups. These sessions identified challenges, opportunities, and potential impacts of research with guiding questions like the following:

  • What are gray areas for industry vs. researchers in this field? 
  • What are existing barriers to research / tech industry exchange?
  • What solutions do we already know that can make research actionable and facilitate collaboration?  

A number of themes emerged from these discussions:

  1. Research needs to continue to be incorporated into a broader range of roles within industry companies. 
  2. Mechanisms for exchange are needed that maintain the independence of research while also facilitating engagement with industry throughout the research process, not just at dissemination.
  3. Ethical and data privacy concerns are a constant consideration when it comes to engaging with research. 
  4. Forming connections between industry and researchers is key to facilitating future partnerships; time and trust are necessary.

The Tech Coalition and Safe Online are always working to drive action on all those themes. This Convening generated new connections to be nurtured into potential partnerships. It was also held alongside the Tech Coalition’s Initiate Hackathon, to allow the largest ever engineering presence at this event. And as the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund considers new projects in Generative AI, pre-existing partnerships with industry have been a major consideration.

We at Safe Online and the Tech Coalition were pleased to convene such an essential group of stakeholders. We also thank Google for hosting us at their London offices. Research has been and continues to be one of the key drivers of progress in preventing online child sexual exploitation and abuse, and we look forward to using the learnings from this event to drive forward further.

Watch: Wrap-up video
Watch: Grantee interviews
See more stories from our family of grantees

Safe Online Progress Snapshot 2023

December 18, 2023

The challenges to children’s online safety have never been more significant, and demand an unprecedented response. Our work, now more critical than ever, has risen to meet these challenges. From strategic investments to critical research and advocacy, Safe Online has been at the frontline of the battle to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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Bridging Perspectives at TrustCon 2024: Our Workshop Experience

Bridging Perspectives at TrustCon 2024: Our Workshop Experience

How can researchers and industry professionals effectively collaborate to tackle digital harms? What are the best practices for creating safe online spaces for children? How can we foster trust and communication among stakeholders in the tech and safety sectors? These were some of the critical questions that Safe Online and the Tech Coalition aimed to address during our workshop at TrustCon 2024 in San Francisco on Tuesday, 23rd July. 

Read on to discover the insights and outcomes from this pivotal event.

Kicking Off at TrustCon 2024

TrustCon 2024, one of the leading events in the Trust & Safety community attended by over 1300 participants, provided an amazing platform for engagement and collaboration among professionals from various sectors. Our workshop was a blend of fireside chat, lightning talks, and breakout sessions for Q&A with researchers, ending with an energetic brainstorming session. Our room was full with nearly 50 participants — a great mix of Trust and Safety (T&S) professionals, tech industry leaders, Civils Society Organisations (CSOs), NGOs, and academic researchers.

What Did We Achieve in the Workshop?

During our workshop, we focused on finding effective ways for researchers and industry professionals to collaborate and exchange ideas to combat digital harms. A big highlight was our discussion on the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund. Alicia Blum-Ross, Global Head of Youth Safety by Design at Tik Tok (a Tech Coalition member company), and one of the tech industry representatives whose leadership has been crucial to push forward the Research Fund and support independent research joined Kay Chau, VP of Programs and Member Success for the Tech Coalition, and Natalie Shoup, Industry & Data Lead for Safe Online to share more on the origins, evolution and impact of the Research Fund to date. This fund is a neutral platform that aims to promote productive and meaningful collaboration between tech industry professionals and researchers. It specifically targets online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), but its structures and processes can be applied more broadly across the T&S community, bridging the gap between independent research and industry policy and practice.

Diving Into Online Child Safety

Our workshop featured some incredible presenters, including grantees of our Research Fund, sharing their groundbreaking work on online child safety:

  • Caoilte Ó Ciardha from the University of Kent discussed deterrence and help-seeking strategies with potential offenders.
  • Angela Castillo Aguirre from Universidad de los Andes explored ways to detect offender behaviour and patterns.
  • Anil Raghuvanshi from ChildSafeNet talked about enhancing the role of parents in protecting children online.
  • John Zoltner from Save the Children shared youth perspectives on online grooming across cultural contexts.

These presentations highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and the value of diverse perspectives in tackling online CSEA. Participants were able to dive deeper into the findings as they moved around the room and engaged with researchers. 

"It was so energising to be making vital connections across the CSEA and broader T&S ecosystem, hearing how industry is applying research from our grantees, which often complements their internal efforts. The true multidisciplinary nature of this work was on full display. It was inspiring to see our growing community - both new and familiar faces - come together to discuss cross-sector collaboration, pioneering online child safety strategies, and more."

Natalie Shoup, Industry and Data Lead, Safe Online

Let’s Brainstorm!

One of the most insightful parts of our workshop was the brainstorming session. We wanted to see how the insights from our research-industry engagement experiences could be applied across the broader T&S space. Participants identified barriers to effective collaboration, such as differing timeframes, sector-specific approaches, varied terminology, unclear objectives, and legal ambiguities, all of which can lead to mistrust and capacity issues. We also discussed existing solutions, with the goal of co-creating shared principles and approaches for cross-sectoral collaboration. This interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral discussion was exactly what we aimed to achieve. 

Key takeaways for this shared vision was summarised as BRIDGE:

  • Building trust and safe spaces for all stakeholders
  • Rallying around shared objectives
  • Initiating multidirectional knowledge exchange
  • Developing a culture of discovery
  • Generating tailored, curated resources 
  • Elaborating clear standards and legal frameworks

The BRIDGE acronym aligns perfectly with our workshop and Research Fund objectives, as it embodies our mission to BRIDGE worlds and fields that traditionally work in silos, fostering better collaboration and impact. 

One specific example from the workshop around “Generating tailored, curated resources” was the suggestion to use a tool that can filter resources based on participants’ needs and interests. This innovative idea highlights the importance of delivering resources that are specifically designed to meet the diverse requirements of different stakeholders, ensuring that everyone has access to the most relevant and useful information. 

Additionally, under “Rallying around shared objectives” participants emphasised the value of sharing success stories to secure funding and support. By highlighting effective strategies and positive outcomes, stakeholders can learn from each other’s experiences and build a stronger, more informed community committed to tackling digital harms.

"Research is a foundational part of our work to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Actionable insights from researchers are critical to informing improvements across the entire child safety ecosystem. This workshop is a great example of the impact of convening diverse stakeholders and fostering collaboration.”

-Kay Chau, Vice President of Programs and Member Success, Tech Coalition

Wrapping up: What’s Next?

The principles and approaches discussed during the workshop will shape our future efforts and the design of collaborative spaces such as the upcoming Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Convening in October which will be hosted by Google in London on the margins of the Tech Coalition Initiate Hackathon. We’d love to know your thoughts on whether we have been able to address the questions we sought out to explore, so if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please reach out to our team. And if you can think of more we can add to BRIDGE, we’d love to hear your creative ideas! 

TrustCon 2024 showed us the power of collaboration and the importance of bringing together diverse voices to tackle complex issues in online safety. We hope everyone came out of the session a little more hopeful, curious, and energised than they came in. We look forward to continuing these essential conversations and working together to create safer online environments for everyone!

See more stories from our family of grantees

Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund announces additional funding of US $500k to select existing grantees for research extension, product development & innovation

October 20, 2023

The Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund is granting 4 awards to further accelerate the work of organisations from the first cohort of grantees. The additional funds will be for a duration of 12 months and will support projects to extend research to applications such as piloting solutions, technical collaboration and innovation efforts.

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Placing child safety at the centre of the connectivity agenda

Placing child safety at the centre of the connectivity agenda

“When we deliver water to remote communities, it needs to be safe and clean. We need to deliver connectivity to kids in the same way - it needs to be safe & empowering,” Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director, Safe Online

“When we deliver water to remote communities, it needs to be safe and clean. We need to deliver connectivity to kids in the same way – it needs to be safe & empowering,” said Marija Manojlovic setting the tone for the ‘Safe Connections’ event hosted by Safe Online with support from Giga on 11 July 2024 in Geneva.

The event was the first of its kind in bringing together connectivity experts and child online safety practitioners to place safety and well-being of children at the heart of the connectivity agenda.

Connecting every child to the internet is vital, but ensuring their safety online is equally crucial. Children should be able to learn, grow, and thrive in the digital world without facing online harms. The digital world has amplified existing challenges like sexual violence, exposing children to new dangers and unprecedented risks of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Dr Najat Malla, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children opened the session highlighting the severe risks that children face online. She stressed that “connecting every school to the internet is essential to close the digital divide but as more and more children go online, we must ensure that they can do so safely”.

Over the last several years, online child sexual exploitation and abuse has skyrocketed – As per the new Childlight study, one incident of online child abuse is reported every second. The Internet Watch Foundation noted 2023 as a ‘record year’ for child sexual abuse with analysts discovering over 275,000 reports of child sexual imagery, marking an 8% increase from the previous year.

“In the age of AI and deepfakes, the risks and threats facing children and young people online are becoming increasingly complex and frequent. It’s never been more important to protect and empower our youth to exercise their rights in the digital world”, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin

“In the age of AI and deepfakes, the risks and threats facing children and young people online are becoming increasingly complex and frequent. It’s never been more important to protect and empower our youth to exercise their rights in the digital world.” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin stressing the risks posed by latest technological trends like Generative AI and Extended Reality (XR). Gen AI, for instance, is turbocharging the creation and spread of child abuse material online blurring the line between ‘real’ and ‘synthetic’ images.

The initial panel discussion highlighted the latest data and trends on the risks and harms children face in digital spaces and how digital connectivity impacts children’s development, safety, and mental health. Experts discussed how new technologies can both increase risks and offer opportunities to enhance digital skills and prevent harm. 

“Child protection must accompany digital transformation. This includes integrating online safety into tech infrastructure and education curricula, fostering children’s resilience both online and offline.”, said Sheema SenGupta, Director Child Protection, UNICEF in the session on solutions which offered practical strategies to maximise the benefits of connectivity in children’s lives while ensuring digital spaces are free from risks and violence. Experts from multiple sectors showcased context-rich information and countries’ experiences including strategies, resources and best practices for robust policy and regulatory frameworks, programs’ design, technology tools and industry practices.

"As we embrace AI and emerging tech, we must prioritize safety and ethics, ensuring a future where technology enhances lives, especially for our children", Cathy Li, Head of AI, Data & Metaverse, World Economic Forum

Panellists stressed on the importance of ensuring child safety-by-design and embedding child safety considerations in the connectivity life-cycle planning and provision, including integrating safety features at the onset of digital tools and platforms & establishing legal frameworks that meet the highest standards of child protection.

The event ended on an optimistic note with panelists looking to the future and exploring what we can do now to ensure that the benefits of technology outweigh the risks.

“As we embrace AI and emerging tech, we must prioritize safety and ethics, ensuring a future where technology enhances lives, especially for our children, said Cathy Li, Head of AI, Data & Metaverse, World Economic Forum , “The World Economic Forum exemplifies this by uniting global stakeholders to build trust and set principles focused on security, safety, and ethical responsibility in digital technologies.”

“We talked about a lot of dark things that technology enables but I believe that the only thing that can stand against that darkness is the type of quick, fair, open development of technology that can help humanity work at scale together”, said Giga’s Co-Lead Chris Fabian, wrapping up the event.

Highlight video
Full Recording

Images: Giga

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Recap blog- 2024 Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Convening

October 22, 2024

The Tech Coalition and Safe Online were proud to host the 2024 Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Convening in London on October 1. Over 50 attendees were present, representing all 13 grant projects from the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund as well as more than a dozen leading tech companies. The Convening successfully combined research insights with industry expertise to drive outcomes that will protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

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In 2024, Safe Online invested nearly USD16M in over 50 innovative projects, tackled digital harms, and expanded research into Gen AI and child safety.

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