Have you heard of Thorn? It’s an organization co-founded by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. They have figured out where the crux of child pornography and predators camp out and they’ve become “dedicated to building technology to defend children from sexual abuse…” Sound impossible? Well, they’ve done it. All they need now is for companies who allow online spaces for user-generated materials to buy in.
What’s a user-generated material site? Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Burn Note, Line, Tinder, Blendr, KiK messenger, Yik Yak, FortNite, Reddit, and Tik Tok (formerly Musical.ly). Incidentally, these are some of the top named sites for sextortion as well. It means users get to post what they want. They simply check a box that they are old enough and safe enough, and then they post what they want until they get caught. And here is the problem. Who is out there catching them? In the past, it’s been no one or only a few people who stumble upon the problem. It’s a short-lived fix because they just change their username, and keep going. But not anymore.
Thorn’s new software Safer “provides a solution to help companies ensure their platforms are not enabling the viral spread of,” child pornography and other abusive content. Not only are they working with law enforcement and Homeland Security, [but they also] work with groups such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Twitter, and Facebook. Thorn is committed to “build[ing] technology to defend children from sexual abuse.” This is music to my ears that have frankly heard too much even within the four walls of my elementary school classroom.
So, what can we do to get Safer into the hands of every online interface? A few things. First, visit your app store and rate these apps and websites that are being used for child sexual abuse. Give them the stars they deserve, sure, but be sure to leave them a note that reminds them they are part of the equation. These app owners have a responsibility to protect our kids, too. Ask them to look into Thorn’s product and care enough to make a difference in this multi-billion-dollar operation. Yes, multi-billion. To the tune of 150 billion dollars a year according to humantraffickingcenter.org.
Second, tell people about this software and what Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are doing to bring light to families who are victims of child sextortion and abuse. This is as simple as sharing this post or bringing it up in conversation with your friends.
And finally, like every good campaign will tell you GO BUY THE SHIRT. I’ve already purchased two, and I encourage you to do the same. It’s the best $25 you will ever spend.
As a nation, we’ve tried doing nothing. We’ve tried pretending this doesn’t exist. We have even gone so far as to pretend it will never happen to our kids. But the data doesn’t lie. These abusers need to be taken down, and I for one am going to do everything I can to be part of it.
