At Thorn, our vision has always been clear, but the path has not.
At each step, we learned and encountered new challenges that focused our efforts and strengthened our resolve. Our constant has been to focus on creating solutions that defend children against sexual abuse.
Today, as technological advancements continue to explode, developing in exciting and innovative ways, we find ourselves at a difficult crossroads in our fight to defend children against sexual abuse: a crossroads in which the technology that makes our lives easier, more enjoyable, more connected and more fun, also puts the safety of children at risk more than ever.
How did we get here, to this place where technology has become a double-edged sword? And how does Thorn respond to ensure we’re on the right track to advocate for children? Let’s take a closer look.
The history of CSAM – and how it was almost eliminated
Before the widespread use of the Internet, CSAM was physically distributed through the post office, which made it difficult for authors to reach large numbers of people. Eventually, new laws and increased lawsuits made trading by mail too risky.
And, with that, the CSAM problem was almost eliminated.
However, as the internet and digital devices spread, it was easier than ever for bad actors around the world to create, distribute and access CSAM. The problem has grown to epic proportions.
To put the exponential increase of the problem into perspective: in 2001, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received only 421 CSAM reports; in 2021, that number was 84,991,735.
Abuse often continues long after a child has been removed from physical harm
Online communities dedicated to child sexual abuse have Also grown over time. These communities normalize abusive behavior and desensitize offenders to the physical and psychological harm inflicted on exploited children.
Even when a child is removed from an abusive situation, their abuse lives online forever – distributed in these communities. They are re-victimized with each viewing, making a full recovery difficult, if not impossible. Many victims are even recognized from their abuse material in public, in job interviews and in their personal lives.
Today, child sexual exploitation material (CSAM) probably exists on every platform that accepts user-generated content. Consider all digital platforms where you can upload a photo or video. Not just those supposed for photo and video sharing either – even those that allow you to attach files, add images to reviews… the list goes on – these can, and often do are, used to share CSAM. That’s thousands of platforms.
This emerging public health crisis is causing lasting damage in our society.
Thorn is determined to solve a technological problem – with technology
At Thorn, we know there is child sexual abuse everywhere – and that due to the scale of the problem, a systemic approach is needed to eradicate it.
Thorn is the world’s largest team dedicated solely to building technology to defend children against sexual abuse. The technology we’re building is designed to give the critical set of people on the front lines – tech companies, law enforcement, parents, policymakers and young people – the tools they need to fight this fight together as a united ecosystem. It’s because if we really want to build a future where every child is free to be safe, curious and happy, we have to empower all actors involved in the protection of children.
Here is our multi-faceted approach:
1. Find kids faster.
When evidence of child sexual abuse hits the internet, our solutions dramatically reduce the time it takes to find child victims. Our tools directly connect investigators and NGOs with critical information to help them resolve cases faster and protect children.
2. Stop the revictimization.
We equip technology platforms with the innovative tools, information, and connections needed to end the spread of abusive content and stop revictimization. Our business tool Safer is designed to help technology companies detect, investigate, and report large-scale abuse images.
❗To date, Thorn has helped the tech industry remove over one million child sexual abuse files from the open web.
3. Empower parents and young people to prevent abuse.
Today’s children are growing up with phones in their hands and, depending on their age, almost constant access to social media, messaging and gaming platforms.
Thorn for parents helps equip parents with the skills and resources to have meaningful, productive, non-judgmental conversations to prevent abuse.
NoFilter is a youth-focused prevention program that aims to educate young people about the risks of sharing nudes online, change toxic attitudes that shame victims, and provide the knowledge and tools they need to resist online threats.
4. Connect and move the entire child safety ecosystem through original and groundbreaking research.
Thorn realizes original and complete realizations research that enables us and our partners across the ecosystem to better understand the real-life experiences of young people today. This research allows us to create programs to empower children and their communities; stay abreast of emerging technologies and prepare for the future by using the latest technologies to defend children against sexual abuse; and to better arm all those with a stake in protecting children with the trusted knowledge they need to bring about tangible change.
5. Influencing policy to defend children.
Thorn engages in critical and productive conversations with lawmakers in the United States and abroad – mainly in the EU — to ensure they understand the nuances of the issue and why it is essential to act in this rapidly changing technological environment. Thorn wants to help policy makers in ways that ensure maximum protection for children.
Thorn’s plan of action is not set in stone, but Why?
The technology itself is nimble, and Thorn should be too.
As new technologies emerge, so do the ways children and bad actors use them – and Thorn pivots with them, empowering the brightest minds in technology and child protection to do whatever it takes to keep children safe in our time.
And, as this problem continues to spread, Thorn will invest in tools and programs that will elevate the entire child protection field by improving our technical ability to combat these large-scale crimes.
Fixing this problem isn’t easy, but at Thorn we know it’s possible. With those who truly care about advocating for children on our side – including our generous community of donors, other NGOs and law enforcement partners, policy makers and the public – we are an unstoppable team that will not stop until every child is free to just be a child.
