The scale of online child sexual abuse was staggering before generative AI tools became accessible. Now, 1 in 8 young people know someone targeted by deepfake nudes. For trust & safety teams, that means greater pressure on detection systems and increased review burden. https://teamthorn.co/3N6IRq6

The scale of online grooming is accelerating. Reports of online enticement to NCMEC nearly tripled from 2023 to 2024. If your platform supports chat, DMs, or community messaging, learn more about Safer Predict’s AI-driven CSAM and CSE detection. https://teamthorn.co/3SgXLJL

Child Safety in AI: Open Problems AI-generated CSAM is rapidly increasing (>400% since 2024 [IWF]). In collaboration with Thorn, we have identified 15 open research problems across AI development, deployment & maintenance to help address child safety risks. 🔗 aichildsafety.github.io

We partnered with the UK AI Security Institute to publish a safety protocol grounded in the Safety by Design approach. Safety cannot be bolted on after launch. It must be embedded into architecture, policy, and workflows from the start. Download the protocol today. https://teamthorn.co/3OGbmvf

Did you catch the latest edition of Safe Space Digest? Each month we gather the top headlines in trust & safety news and give a quick summary of the stories impacting online child safety. Here's the latest from Cassie Coccaro, Communications Lead at Thorn. https://teamthorn.co/4l3w6cw

There’s a lag between when novel CSAM is identified and when its hash is added to broader, widely used databases. SaferList helps close that window. Each Safer customer can choose to share their SaferList across the entire Safer community to strengthen short-term protection for users.

Detection is only half the battle. Routing is where trust & safety teams win back time. Classifiers identify potentially harmful content and create value from what happens next. When prediction scores are paired with intelligent queueing, teams can move faster from identification to intervention.

Work in trust & safety and child protection is high-stakes by nature. When the risks are real, it’s easy to stay heads-down and push through. Don’t forget to show yourself some love, because protecting children over the long term requires protecting the people doing the work.

On Safer Internet Day, let’s improve online experiences for everyone by ensuring child safety on your platform. Here are three places to start: 1️⃣ Build in safety by design 2️⃣ Proactively detect 3️⃣ Collaborate with accountability A safer internet is built collectively, through shared responsibility.

TrustCon is the only global conference dedicated to trust and safety professionals. We’re looking at data science, research and engineering, product design, and more. You name it, there’s going to be an expert at TrustCon ready to talk about it. What topics do you want to learn about this year?

Proactive safety technology relies on two complementary approaches. Hashing and matching power the first layer. Modern ML classifiers are the second layer. Together, these tools create a dual safety system that helps platforms move from reactive enforcement to proactive protection.

Child sexual abuse and exploitation increasingly happens through everyday platform functionality: image uploads, DMs, file sharing, comments, and chat. When safety isn’t designed into those systems from the start, platforms are forced to respond after harm has already occurred.

Did you catch the latest edition of Safe Space Digest? Each month we gather the top headlines in trust & safety news and give a quick summary of the stories impacting online child safety. Here's the latest from Cassie Coccaro, Communications Lead at Thorn. https://teamthorn.co/4c4Ob7c

One of the most consequential risk vectors in AI development is the training data itself. A recent investigation reported by @404media.co highlights this risk: ⚠️The widely used NudeNet dataset included over 120 images of known or suspected CSAM.⚠️ Read the full story: https://teamthorn.co/4sDlt3l

We asked 2025 Safe Space podcast guest David Polgar a couple of questions to reflect on the new year. His answers are a testament to the great work trust & safety professionals are doing in the space, and the path they are forging for future professionals. Listen here: https://teamthorn.co/3Lj2BWt

Birthdays are about taking stock of how far we’ve come and what still needs building. To every trust & safety team using Safer: thank you. Your commitment to proactive detection and responsible innovation is driving tangible safety outcomes for millions of young people.

Business Case Template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qLOf6MODCpLxoD3Ayp9yLLUaOoO6byy39q2L4lEgke4/copy Tooling Scorecard Template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SiWE0saDLyyps71RDWgqJnJ4uxhLWygqqZyv4raCMyY/copy

We’re sharing two free templates to help trust & safety teams accelerate their 2026 planning: 🔧 A Trust & Safety Business Case Template — communicate risk, resourcing needs, and ROI to leadership 🧰 A Tooling Scorecard Template — evaluate detection, triage, and reporting solutions with clarity

Did you catch the latest edition of Digital Defenders Digest? Each month we gather the top headlines in trust & safety news and give a quick summary of the stories impacting online child safety. Here's the latest from Cassie Coccaro, Communications Lead at Thorn. https://teamthorn.co/4ji75JI

Seema embodies the spirit of the Safer team, leading with kindness, compassion, and a deep desire to do good. She’s helping build technology that creates digital spaces where safety comes first. The online world kids are growing up in needs people like Seema to help power trust and safety.

Emily and her team are proving what’s possible when technology is used for good. From identifying previously unreported CSAM to detecting online grooming early, every advancement helps platforms deliver safer experiences and protect the most vulnerable users.

At its core, T&S work is grounded in care, compassion, and a global commitment to user safety. John Buckley, Director and Head of Child Rights and Safety at The LEGO Group, joined Safe Space to discuss what it takes to advocate for children inside some of the world’s largest tech companies.

This year, platforms powered by Safer processed more than 317 billion files. That’s “billion” – with a “B.” That number is incredible, and we’re proud of such broad implementation. Safer also detected over 4.4 million suspected CSAM files, helping protect children more effectively than ever before.

In trust and safety, the job can feel *very* personal—and that makes switching off tricky. In this clip from Safe Space, @aaron.bsky.team (Head of Trust & Safety at @bsky.app) shares how he protects his well-being while working in one of the internet’s most emotionally demanding roles.

Trust & Safety is evolving fast. From AI-driven abuse and deepfakes to rising standards, user expectations, and new regulations, 2025 demands proactive detection and hybrid safety models. These trends reflect the collective challenges and opportunities ahead for every trust & safety team.

As Dr. Rebecca Portnoff reminds us, a model’s effectiveness depends on everything around it: the humans, the processes, and the safeguards that hold it accountable. 🎧 Hear Dr. Portnoff expand on this topic in our Humans in the Loop webinar: https://teamthorn.co/3WXqFQZ

You can design for an ideal community. But you have to moderate the real one. That means moderators need to learn from the community that exists, not necessarily the one they planned for. 🎧 Learn more in our webinar Humans in the Loop: Building Ethical AI for Content Moderation teamthorn.co/3WXqFQZ

Not every moderation decision needs a human, but every system still needs human judgment. As Dave Willner puts it, the real question is at what level can people add the most value? 🎧 Hear more from Dave in our Humans in the Loop webinar: https://teamthorn.co/3WXqFQZ

When it comes to designing technology for teens, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. In our latest Safe Space episode, Lauren Jonas, Head of Youth Wellbeing at OpenAI, shares how her team approached new parental controls for ChatGPT. https://youtu.be/s9QMo5LJS1Y

“Humans vs. AI” is the wrong question. It’s about designing balance in your system, where humans bring context, and AI brings scale. How are you building checks and balances into your content moderation process today? https://teamthorn.co/3WXqFQZ

Lauren Jonas from OpenAI jumps into the Safe Space Lightning Round and blows through our list of questions. She had an answer for everything and knew exactly where she was going. ⚡Check it out!⚡ https://youtu.be/tREx481sygA

The same curiosity and problem-solving instinct that drives founders can also fuel meaningful progress in child protection. But in this space, practitioners must keep an eye on building carefully, learning continuously, and acting with care for the people their technology impacts most.

In the latest episode of Safe Space, we sit down w/ Lauren Jonas, Head of Youth Wellbeing at OpenAI. If you care about how tech, design, & child protection intersect, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/s9QMo5LJS1Y #SafeSpacePodcast #ChildSafety

In our latest Safe Space episode, Ryn Linthicum from Anthropic explains why wellness for trust & safety professionals is essential to user safety. When you protect your team, they can better protect users. Tell us - what's working for your team? https://youtu.be/rrhdY7bppr8

⚡LIGHTNING ROUND guest Ryn Linthicum provides an insightful take on our fast-paced trust and safety questions. With an extensive background in academia and human behavior, Ryn takes a thoughtful approach to these fun topics. https://youtu.be/YbLA-G_CKl0

In the latest Safe Space episode, Ryn Linthicum from Anthropic perfectly captures what effective trust & safety work really looks like: it's about building robust, multi-layered protections. Listen to the full conversation and Ryn’s thoughtful approach to T&S: https://youtu.be/rrhdY7bppr8

For many T&S professionals, the field didn’t even exist when they were growing up. Like Ryn, surfing early social networks was the real-life experience they would later put into practice professionally. Hear how Ryn's unconventional path is shaping the future of AI safety: youtu.be/rrhdY7bppr8

Did you catch the latest edition of Digital Defenders Digest? Each month we gather the top headlines in trust & safety news and give a quick summary of the stories impacting online child safety. Here's the latest from Cassie Coccaro, Communications Lead at Thorn. https://teamthorn.co/42jMkGb

Anthropic’s Ryn Linthicum highlights how building safety into the process, Safety by Design, is a much more effective, proactive solution for user protection. Listen to Ryn’s episode to learn about their journey from aspiring astronaut to data-driven, human-centered T&S expert: youtu.be/rrhdY7bppr8

New Safe Space Episode! We enjoyed an insightful conversation with Ryn Linthicum of Anthropic. Ryn’s research driven approach to user experience, human psychology, & emotional well-being provides a fascinating point of view on the future of AI technology & user safety. https://youtu.be/rrhdY7bppr8

Thorn's 2024 Youth Perspectives data shows online sexual interactions reported by 1 in 3 boys aged 9-to-12. The data suggests perpetrators are targeting demographics typically considered lower-risk. Learn more data & insights that can strengthen your safety operations: https://teamthorn.co/4pjIRRW

⚡LIGHTNING ROUND with David Polgar⚡ David provided a great point of view, of some answers we haven’t heard before on the Lightning Round. Give it a watch and let us know your thoughts on his answers. https://youtu.be/IDlG7PkelWk?feature=shared

Thorn's 2024 Youth Perspectives Report reveals critical shifts in online risks. • High rates of online sexual interactions for boys aged 9-to-12 years old • Declining help-seeking behaviors among highest-risk demographics

If you work in trust & safety, you know it’s more than a job. You didn't choose this field for the easy path or the recognition. You chose it because you believe the internet can be better. Listen to our episode w/ David Polgar about the humans behind the work: https://www.youtube.com/@SaferbyThorn

In our most recent Safe Space podcast with David Polgar of @alltechishuman.bsky.social, we talk about the responsibility and accountability of “tech for good” and why it requires a strong community in the space. Listen to our conversation here: https://safespacepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2439525/follow

Did you catch the latest edition of Digital Defenders Digest? Each month we gather the top headlines in trust & safety news and give a quick summary of the stories impacting online child safety. Here's the latest from Cassie Coccaro, Communications Lead at Thorn. www.linkedin.com/pulse/progre...

New Safe Space Episode Alert! We sat down with David Polgar, founder of @alltechishuman.bsky.social, who built a 55,000-member community focused on responsible tech. David's optimism is contagious and will get you thinking about trust & safety in fresh ways. https://www.youtube.com/@SaferbyThorn

⚡LIGHTNING ROUND with Del Harvey⚡ Sometimes the best insights come in the blink of an eye! We asked trust and safety legend @delbius.bsky.social some quick questions and her answers were pure gold. What do you think about Del's answers? Watch the full lightning round: youtu.be/D5gCU7PZx-I

Even though T&S is a mature field, it’s still constantly changing. As @delbius.bsky.social, legendary T&S leader, says here, old challenges come around again in new ways.  Hear Del’s insight into T&S work, honed by more than 10 years leading the team at Twitter: www.youtube.com/@SaferbyThorn

This insight from trust and safety legend @delbius.bsky.social gets to the heart of why this work matters. We want to know: What drives you most in trust and safety work? Watch the latest episode of Safe Space, and let us know why you do what you do: www.youtube.com/@SaferbyThorn