Private Sector Partners
The private sector has a vital role to play in tackling online child abuse, and a number of private sector players are working with the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) to help make the internet safer by design.
Private sector partners may include those from industry, academia and non-government organisations.
To recognise those organisations that are leading the way in promoting safety on the internet, the VGT encourages private sector partnership. The aim is to publicly recognise good corporate citizenship, support innovative thinking and, ultimately, to reduce the incidence of child abuse online.
Current VGT private sector partners
ECPAT
ECPAT is a global network of organisations committed to protecting children from commercial sexual exploitation. By having an in-depth understanding of the online experiences of children, ECPAT is able to share valuable research and intelligence with other VGT partners and law enforcement agencies.
INHOPE
INHOPE supports and coordinates worldwide internet hotlines dealing with illegal content online, primarily child sexual abuse material. With internet hotlines being an effective first line of defence against illegal activity online, INHOPE’s work strongly aligns with the VGT’s aims of keeping children safe online.
ICMEC
ICMEC is leading a global movement to protect children from sexual exploitation and abduction. ICMEC works with partners on six continents to provide governments, law enforcement agencies, private sector companies, and non governmental organisations with the training, expertise and support required to enforce and protect the rights of children.
NCMEC
NCMEC is the primary entity within the U.S. to receive reports of child exploitation, child sex tourism, and child abuse. NCMEC has been a strong partner in prevention, education, and outreach, and conducts many activities related to these topics that can’t be performed by law enforcement.
PayPal
PayPal is a payment processor, which employs multiple sophisticated models to detect and remove accounts that are involved in the distribution of child sexual exploitation material. PayPal is also a member of the Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography and the Asia Pacific Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography.
World Vision Australia
World Vision Australia (WVA) is a child-focussed humanitarian, development and advocacy organisation which is well placed to assist VGT partners and law enforcement agencies with vital information and intelligence. As part of the World Vision global partnership, WVA has access to invaluable information on emerging trends and best practice in preventing and responding to child sexual exploitation. WVA will work to harness the perspectives of children and communities to enhance law enforcement efforts.
Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit
Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit Transforming the fight against digital crime through partnerships, and legal and technical breakthroughs that destroy the way cybercriminals operate.
The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) is a unique team in the tech industry, focused on making the world safer by disrupting some of the most difficult cybercrime threats facing society today – including technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and malicious software crimes, particularly botnet-driven Internet attacks. With cooperation across industry, law enforcement, academia, government, and NGOs worldwide, DCU aims to put cybercriminals out of business and help the global Internet community protect itself and thrive.
Blackberry
Blackberry, the company behind the BlackBerry product line, is a global leader in wireless innovation which revolutionised the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999.
The Code Of Conduct For The Protection Of Children From Sexual Exploitation In Travel And Tourism (The Code)
The Code Of Conduct For The Protection Of Children From Sexual Exploitation In Travel And Tourism (The Code) engages the tourism industry (hotels, airlines, tour operators) to request their commitment in accepting their Code of Conduct. Already more than 1000 travel companies from 42 countries have signed This Code of Conduct, which seeks to protect children from travelling child sex offenders. The VGT and The Code will work together to link the travel and tourism industry and law enforcement and raise further awareness of this Code of Conduct.
KINSA
KINSA is a non-profit organization that helps to protect and rescue child victims of sexual abuse whose images and movies are traded on the Internet.
NetClean
NetClean is an organization that develops technical products to stop the spread of online child abuse images.
Becoming a VGT private sector partner
By joining the VGT as a private sector partner, organisations can help reduce the threat to children online and demonstrate their commitment to community safety and crime reduction.
To become a private sector partner of the VGT, organisations must follow five principles:
- have a proven track record of cooperation with, and a public commitment to, law enforcement
- have a pro-active commitment to combating child abuse online and making the internet safer by design
- actively support law enforcement on inpidual crime prevention and reduction strategies, including those developed by the VGT
- show commitment to the development of effective educational programs that promote safety on the internet
- actively support and promote the work of the VGT.
Contact the VGT for more information on becoming a VGT private sector partner.
