At Thorn, we envision a world where every child is free to simply be a kid. Where kids experience the joy of childhood free from the threat of sexual abuse. And where child sexual abuse material is eliminated from the internet. Every day, we show up committed to this cause. That’s why today, we’re proud to announce a new milestone in Thorn’s journey: A fresh, revamped brand for Thorn and the launch of our newly redesigned website. This transformation is an important step for our organization, reflecting our relentless commitment to defend children amid a rapidly advancing digital era.
While we remain deeply committed to the same mission — to build technology to defend children from sexual abuse — this evolution further reinforces our commitment to meet emerging threats with innovative solutions. Our holistic solutions tackle the issue at all levels of child protection. From working with tech companies, government and law enforcement to engaging parents and youth, we empower the child safety ecosystem with the cutting-edge technologies, research and resources to safeguard children now and into the future.
Thorn is uniquely positioned to combat child sexual abuse where it intersects with technology. Our refreshed brand offers a more dynamic expression of the many ways we do that, allowing you to engage with the different facets of our work. Every day, children are sexually abused and the internet only makes it worse. But it doesn’t have to be this way. At Thorn, we face the unthinkable, daring to make a difference and employing the radical ingenuity that creates a brighter future for kids. After all, that’s joy worth building for.
A multifaceted approach: Thorn’s five key initiatives
Kids deserve to have the brightest minds defending them. Our staff includes experts in child safety technology, research, data science, policy, and youth empowerment. Through their efforts, we have proof that building innovative technology works to defend children from sexual abuse. That’s why Thorn’s working to:
- Make the internet safer and stop the cycle of abuse
- Empower parents and youth to prevent abuse
- Find children faster
- Connect and move the entire child safety ecosystem with original research
- Influence policy
Get to know the issue: The evolution of CSAM
To stop the spread of CSAM online, we must understand how it starts. Our Issue page dives into a dynamic narrative on the digital evolution of child sexual abuse. Where once the trade of CSAM was nearly eliminated, the birth of the internet set a new stage for easily trading CSAM among abusers, accelerating the creation and spread of CSAM in new ways and leading to other crimes, like sextortion. The truth is, child sexual abuse is happening everywhere. It’s happening in our communities and to the people we know. To truly understand Thorn’s cause and the scale of the issue, we invite you to explore our Issue page. The immersive storytelling explores the pathways…
Dive deeper: Explore our Research Center
Want to see the data and insights that inform our work? Our new Research Center provides access to Thorn’s original research as well as research from our partners that together are driving the child safety ecosystem forward. Thorn’s research team conducts qualitative and quantitative research directly with youth to understand their attitudes and behaviors online, their experiences with harmful encounters, and much more. In the Research Center, you can dive deeper into topics such as youth perspectives on sharing nudes, their experiences with online grooming, and…
Take the pledge: “I believe in the right to childhood joy”
Thorn is working to support and activate the child safety ecosystem by building the tools and programs to defend children from sexual abuse. We are all part of that ecosystem. Each one of us has a role to play in keeping kids safe in our families, our communities and our world. If we work together, we can protect the most essential promise of childhood — the right to simply be a kid. It starts with our belief in a better future and our collective courage to make it a reality. We can end this public health crisis and create a better world for every child, now and for generations to come. We hope you’ll show your support for children and this mission by joining us in our pledge. Because this is joy worth building for.
Take the Pledge