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Dear Friends and Partners,
As we look back on the last seven years, we celebrate a remarkable journey where Safe Online has reached US$ 80 million in investments, extending our footprint to over 85 countries worldwide as of 31st December 2023. Our Annual Report highlights these achievements in numbers, but our true impact lies in the dedicated efforts of our grantees who tirelessly work to make the online world safer for children.
Our collective efforts are beginning to lay the foundation for a safer digital future. However, there is still much work to be done. At Safe Online, we know what it takes to end online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). Our work on the ground has shown the urgent need for more equitable and sustained funding, future-proof and tech-neutral legislation that prioritises children’s safety and well-being and ensuring safety-by-design in digital technologies.
Thanks to our donors, grantees, partners and friends:
More countries have better legislative and policy frameworks, services and infrastructure to tackle digital harms.
Children and parents feel more equipped to navigate the online world safely.
Frontline workers have better skills to prevent and respond to online harms to children.
Technology tools are helping professionals quickly identify and rescue child victims, remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and prevent further victimisation of survivors.
The ecosystem has access to better research and knowledge on threats and trends, as well as on what works and what does not work to end online CSEA.
Despite the external challenges the desire for change has never been stronger. There is reason to be hopeful and to press ahead with purpose and urgency. Together, we can transform the digital landscape and protect every child from online exploitation and abuse.
With gratitude and determination,
Safe Online invests strategically, adapting to incorporate new evidence, prioritising inclusivity and expanding to new regions and areas of programmatic impact.Â
Safe Online awarded three Call for Proposals, totaling over US$ 6 million. These new projects will enhance real-world application of independent research in tech development.
They will also foster innovative solutions to address age assurance and live streaming abuse in online CSEA.
To combat the growing threats in the digital space, Safe Online launched a global call for proposals in July 2023. 23 new grantees were awarded US$10 million to tackle digital harms.
Safe Online invests in actions backed by data and evidence on the risks, threats and solutions to tackle the challenges of online CSEA and promotes collaboration among grantees and other partners in order to maximise impact.
Safe Online convened, organised and participated in 5 key initiatives including the Safe Digital Futures for Children: Data for Change event to promote a more reliable, comparable and comprehensive data ecosystem on online CSEA and co-create a body of collaborative knowledge and solutions to tackle the crisis.
Safe Online’s robust and actionable evidence base provides a strong foundation, advocating for change with global and national authorities, tech industry and other stakeholders.
Key Moments include:Â
Safe Online began a significant collaboration with the French Children Online Protection Lab (COPL). As part of the partnership, Safe Online will highlight impactful projects in the field and leverage existing infrastructure in the ecosystem to support and enhance the Lab’s featured experimentations.
Safe Online urged G7 Nations to unite against online CSEA by boosting global funding, harmonising legislations and standards and advancing safety technology in a key advocacy moment at the G7 Security and Interior Ministers’ Meet in Japan.Â
Safe Online joined the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety as a Coalition Member. The Coalition is a public-private platform for global, multi-stakeholder cooperation to develop innovations and advance collaborations that tackle harmful content and conduct online.
Safe Online convened, organised and participated in 5 key initiatives including the Safe Digital Futures for Children: Data for Change event to promote a more reliable, comparable and comprehensive data ecosystem on online CSEA and co-create a body of collaborative knowledge and solutions to tackle the crisis.
Additionally, Safe Online organised, contributed and participated in nearly 60 strategic opportunities including high-level events, convenings and meetings to share insights from our research, evidence and investments to drive policy change to create a safe digital future for children.Â
This investment pillar strengthens the institutional structure and the capacities of relevant stakeholders to prevent and respond to online CSEA.
Safe Online funds helped to:
1) Improve reporting, investigation and prosecution of online CSEA cases.
2) Improve the quality of services for child victims of online CSEA. This includes supporting training to law enforcement and social service providers.
3) Strengthen national policy frameworks for preventing, detecting, responding to and investigating online CSEA.
5) Engage with media to raise awareness and mobilise it to raise public awareness on online CSEA.
6) Raise awareness on online CSEA focused on communities, caregivers, parents, and children through information campaigns.
4) Ensure child participation in combatting online CSEA.
The investment pillar contributes to safe digital environments for children by funding research that analyses the risks and emerging trends of online CSEA and provides actionable solutions.
In a landmark step forward for children’s online safety, Malaysia made sex extortion and livestreaming of child sexual abuse distinct offenses, to enable better prosecution of these crimes.
Highlights: An interactive and accessible digital platform developed by DeafKidz International, DeafKidz Defenders (DKD) educates deaf children on how to stay safe online. Safe Online investments are contributing to educating deaf children in selected schools in Pakistan, South Africa and Zambia. Watch a video on DeafKidz Defenders in action in South AfricaÂ
The Tech Coalition and Safe Online established the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund in June 2020. In 2023,13 organisations implemented projects with support from this Research Fund. The research topics included a wide range of high-priority issues including parents’ and caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices, online grooming tactics and pathways, children’s experiences of peer-to-peer violence and early warning signs for offenders or those at risk of offending.
Safe Online fosters innovative technological solutions to support the prevention, detection and response to online CSEA.Â
Safe Online funds helped to:
1) Detect, remove and report images and videos with sexual content or acts involving children.
3) Advance shareable and interoperable tech solutions to combat online CSEA and foster collaboration between law enforcement, industry, and tech partners.
2) Promote prevention, reporting and effective response of online CSEA, including strengthening support services.
Safe Online acknowledges the generous contributions of governments, foundations, coalitions and other partners whose support over the past several years has helped to create a safer digital world for children and young people. Â
Finally, we extend our sincere gratitude to UNICEF for hosting Safe Online.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to keep up-to-date on the latest progress, news, events and reports from Safe Online and the wider community working to end violence against children.Â
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All imagery is taken from the UNICEF image library. It is not available in the public domain.
UNICEF Cambodia is supporting the INHOPE hotline in Cambodia, which reported 277 online CSEA cases in 2023. 44 cases were referred to police, and 139 victims received support. UNICEF also helped the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) establish a Child Protection Information Management system with 14 other ministries.
The People’s Police Academy and the Criminal Police Department in Viet Nam, supported by UNICEF Viet Nam, raised awareness of 29 frontline investigators on gender-responsive and child-friendly investigation techniques. Safe Online funding also contributed to procuring equipment for the Police Child Friendly Interview Room.
In 2023, child online safety was included as a key priority in the National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Zimbabwe as a result of continued advocacy efforts by Safe Online grantee, Childline Zimbabwe
The #JagaBareng campaign in Indonesia, supported by UNICEF Indonesia, mobilised over 300 adolescents and youth through the ‘#JagaBareng Challenge’ to co-create key messages on online CSEA prevention. The campaign connected with more than 70 million people through social media outreach, news media outlets and publications.Â
INTERPOL‘s DevOps Group project equips CSEA investigators with cutting-edge technology by facilitating R&D and providing solutions to specialised officers globally. It unites technical experts, developers, data scientists, and investigators to support law enforcement in combating online CSEA
The ReDirection project by Suojellaan Lapsia, (Protect Children Finland) offers an anonymous self-help program to stop CSAM use. With over 80,000 visitors, 75% of 77 respondents reported decreased or stopped CSAM use.
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.
We believe in equipping guardians and young people with the skills to understand and see danger themselves once accessing digital experiences without supervision.
