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2 min read

The Issue

Don’t look away: Have a conversation about online safety today

Don’t look away. The conversation starts here. As part of Internet Safety Month, we are encouraging more people to engage in conversations about child safety in the digital age.  Today’s […]

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What’s trending now?

Glow from a partially closed laptop illuminates a dark room.

5 min read

News

A new child safety gap in Europe – and why it matters everywhere

There’s now a child safety gap in Europe. Here’s what that means. On April 3, 2026, the legal basis that allowed platforms to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in […]

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3 min read

News

No to nudifying tools: Standing with our partners for children’s safety

Today, on Safer Internet Day, Thorn is joining child safety organizations worldwide in a unified call to prohibit nudifying tools. We’re proud to stand alongside partners including Safe Online, NCMEC, […]

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6 min read

News

A New Chapter for Youth Online Safety: NoFiltr’s Next Phase

Safer Internet Day is a reminder that protecting young people online is not the responsibility of any single organization, platform, or caregiver. It’s a shared commitment, one that must evolve […]

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6 min read

News

April 3 could create a dangerous gap in child safety across Europe

April 3, 2026 update: The legal exemption has expired, leaving a crucial child safety gap in Europe. To find out more about what this means for platform safety, please visit […]

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Glow from a partially closed laptop illuminates a dark room.

5 min read

News

A new child safety gap in Europe – and why it matters everywhere

There’s now a child safety gap in Europe. Here’s what that means. On April 3, 2026, the legal basis that allowed platforms to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in […]

Read Article

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8 min read

News

Thorn joins global coalition condemning the EU’s CSAM detection gap

On April 3, 2026, the legal basis allowing platforms to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in Europe will expire. Without it, online service providers across the EU can no […]

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3 min read

News

No to nudifying tools: Standing with our partners for children’s safety

Today, on Safer Internet Day, Thorn is joining child safety organizations worldwide in a unified call to prohibit nudifying tools. We’re proud to stand alongside partners including Safe Online, NCMEC, […]

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Technology for Good

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5 min read

Technology for Good

Today, the internet is Safer

At Thorn, two of our core mission pillars are building innovative technology and platform safety. Key to these outcomes is our child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and exploitation (CSE) detection […]

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2 min read

Technology for Good

How VSCO Protected Its Platform and Community of Photographers from CSAM with Safer by Thorn

Deploying Safer by Thorn helped VSCO deliver on its promise of being a trusted platform and providing a safe experience for its creator community.

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2 min read

Technology for Good

Thorn collaborates with UK AI Security Institute to release a safety protocol for generative AI

At Thorn, we believe technology can and must protect children, not put them at risk. That’s why we’re proud to announce a new milestone in our global child protection work. […]

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5 min read

Technology for Good

Introducing Safer Predict: Using the Power of AI to Detect Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Online

Our ability to upload content to our favorite apps or chat with others online is part of how we socialize with our digital communities. Yet, these same features are also […]

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Support Us

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6 min read

Support Us

Together, we’re transforming how children are protected

As the end of the year approaches, we’re reminded of the power of our donors that makes progress possible. This year, our community proved that progress is unstoppable when we […]

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5 min read

Support Us

How Jen Kao and Adam Leibsohn found their path to protecting children with Thorn

Behind every member of Thorn’s community of donors lies a unique human story. For Jen Kao and Adam Leibsohn, their path to joining our mission wasn’t just about support—it was […]

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6 min read

Support Us

Donor Spotlight: A Conversation with Lauren Bush Lauren on Protecting Children in the Digital Age

Why Lauren Gives to Thorn In an increasingly interconnected and digital world, the safety of our children online has never been more critical. We recently had the privilege of sitting […]

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3 min read

Support Us

Thorn Messages of Support

What keeps professionals dedicated to defending children from sexual abuse? Collaboration, grit, and vision. Hear four diverse perspectives from our team.

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The Issue

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2 min read

The Issue

Don’t look away: Have a conversation about online safety today

Don’t look away. The conversation starts here. As part of Internet Safety Month, we are encouraging more people to engage in conversations about child safety in the digital age.  Today’s […]

Read Article

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4 min read

The Issue

A former investigator’s journey into dark web child safety

The internet’s hidden corners harbor some of humanity’s darkest crimes. Investigators like Pete Manning dedicate their careers to navigating these dangerous digital spaces, working tirelessly to protect children from exploitation […]

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6 min read

The Issue

AI-generated child sexual abuse: The new digital threat we must confront now

Generative AI is already shaping how we create, share, and consume content online. These tools can produce new images, videos, text, and audio in seconds, and often with just a […]

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Research

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7 min read

Research

1 in 3 young boys are targeted online: What the new 2024 Youth Perspectives data tells us

There are many online platforms where boys go to build worlds, compete with friends, and simply be kids. But our 2024 research reveals a troubling reality: these digital playgrounds are […]

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9 min read

Research

The state of sextortion in 2025

In front of screens across America, a quiet crisis is unfolding. Sexual extortion has become a very real threat that’s casting a dark shadow over young lives. Thorn’s latest research, […]

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7 min read

Research

Commodified Sexual Interactions: How money and clout are obscuring risk for youth online

What are “commodified sexual interactions?”  As young people mature, they naturally explore identity, build relationships, and find ways to express themselves. Today’s children are no different, except that they are […]

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Our Bold Goal

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4 min read

Our Bold Goal

Thorn receives TED Audacious Project reinvestment

Thorn is proud and honored to share that donors through The Audacious Project have committed $18 million of unrestricted funding to Thorn over the next five years. This impactful reinvestment […]

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4 min read

Our Bold Goal

Entering 2026 with Purpose

As we begin 2026, I’m filled with both deep gratitude and renewed determination. Each year, the digital world seems to evolve faster than the one before. This brings new challenges, […]

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6 min read

Our Bold Goal

How the new Thorn mission shapes our next chapter.

Our children are growing up in a digital world, and predators are taking advantage of this new reality—exploiting children in these digital spaces and creating new vulnerabilities for them.  Every […]

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26 min read

Our Bold Goal

Ending Online Child Exploitation: A Conversation with Thorn CEO Julie Cordua and Carol Cone

The statistics are stark and sobering: online child sexual abuse has reached crisis levels, with reports increasing exponentially in recent years. As technology evolves and becomes more integrated into children’s […]

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3 min read

Our Bold Goal

Thorn CEO Julie Cordua: My Vision for 2025

As we begin 2025, I’m filled with both determination and hope as I reflect on Thorn’s journey and the critical work that lies ahead.  The digital landscape continues to evolve […]

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6 min read

Our Bold Goal

12 Years of Thorn

12 years ago this month, Thorn set out with a bold purpose: to build technology to fight the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. It was an ambitious goal, but […]

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5 min read

Our Bold Goal

Thorn CEO Julie Cordua: My Vision for 2024

As we look ahead to 2024, I’m taking time to reflect on the significant strides Thorn has made last year in our vital mission to defend children from sexual abuse.  […]

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3 min read

Our Bold Goal

Thorn CEO Julie Cordua: My Vision for 2023

As we look ahead to 2023, I’m taking a moment to pause and reflect on the work Thorn is doing to create a different – a better – future for our children. 

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5 min read

Our Bold Goal

Thorn at Ten: A Decade of Progress

In Thorn’s first decade, the digital pioneer became a powerhouse in defending children from sexual abuse. Check out our proudest moments in our latest blog.

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Prevention

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7 min read

Prevention

Sextortion: What it is, How it Happens and Who’s at Risk

Sextortion is when someone’s sexual imagery is used to extort them. Put simply, it’s when someone blackmails or threatens to expose another person’s sexual imagery to make that person do something they don’t want to do, like send more compromising photos, maintain contact, or send money.

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3 min read

Prevention

“I thought we were friends”: A Sextortion Story

When a young boy begins chatting with a “friend” during a video game, she lures him in and abuses his trust, engaging in sextortion for his nudes.

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6 min read

Prevention

Sextortion: What to do if someone is blackmailing you with nudes

We discuss how sextortion happens and what to do if it happens to you.

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6 min read

Prevention

Online grooming: What it is, how it happens, and how to defend children

Finding something in common. Telling personal stories. Sharing something just a little bit vulnerable and creating a bond. We all do this to build trust. But what if someone takes that trust to a place where we never want it to go?

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Life at Thorn

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Melissa

3 min read

Life at Thorn

Meet the Team: A Conversation with Melissa Stroebel

At Thorn, we bring together the best hearts and minds from tech, child protection, business and nonprofit fields to create powerful products and programs to defend children from sexual abuse. […]

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4 min read

Life at Thorn Prevention

Meet the Team: A Conversation with Dr. Rebecca Portnoff

Dr. Rebecca Portnoff, Head of Data Science at Thorn, shares more about her career and what working to defend children with tech is like.

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3 min read

Life at Thorn

10 Wellness Tips for World Mental Health Day

Once you know about child sexual abuse, you can’t un-know it. In order to stay resilient in the fight to defend children from sexual abuse, protecting mental health is paramount. 

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