Safer, Built by Thorn

In the latest episode of Safe Space, Dr. Rachel Kowert offers a practical reminder: consumer trust is part of the business case. Safety isn’t just risk mitigation. It drives trust, retention, and long-term platform health. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://teamthorn.co/4valtZb

Dr. Rachel Kowert puts her years of research experience up against the SAFE SPACE LIGHTNING ROUND! See her hot takes on the field of trust and safety, then listen to her full Safe Space episode wherever you get your podcasts.

New co-host Cassie Coccaro joins Pailes Halai for Safe Space season three. Get a front-row seat to conversations with the people shaping moderation and platform safety. Join us for another round of inspiration and insight, wherever you get your podcasts.

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/4dflxk0

Safer Predict’s text classifier now includes a grooming label designed to surface high-risk conversations earlier to help trust & safety teams: 1. Identify patterns that indicate grooming behavior 2. Prioritize conversations for review 3. Intervene before harm escalates

Image-based abuse has expanded to include video, AI-generated content, & increasingly sophisticated grooming patterns. Bad actors adapt quickly to new features, new formats, & new technologies. Safer was built to help platforms stay ahead of those evolving threats. https://safer.io/#cta-contact

If your platform hosts any kind of user-generated content, your trust and safety teams are under immense pressure. Abuse tactics are evolving, and expectations for proactive detection have never been higher. Safer is built to help platforms meet this moment. https://safer.io/#cta-contact

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

“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

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 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

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

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...

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

The future of child safety isn't about having all the answers—it's about staying curious, adaptable, and ready for what's next. Hear more of @delbius.bsky.social's insights on building resilient safety approaches in the latest Safe Space episode: safespacepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2439525

What an incredible few days at #TrustCon! Thank you to everyone at the Trust & Safety Professional Association for bringing this incredible community together. And thanks to everyone who attended one of our panels, said “Hi” in the elevator, stopped us for a hallway chat, or visited our booth!

In our latest Safe Space episode, John Buckley addresses one of the biggest misconceptions about big tech companies: that executives or algorithms make decisions w/o considering users' needs. Listen to John explain why the human element matters in trust & safety work: www.youtube.com/@SaferbyThorn

In this powerful clip from our latest Safe Space episode, John Buckley shares the university lecture that shifted his entire career trajectory. "I can't unhear what I've just heard. I think this is the space I need to work." Listen to John's full story: youtu.be/88l4DDgcMf0

Is participatory moderation the future of content moderation? @aaron.bsky.team shares how Bluesky's unique, decentralized nature lets users curate their own labels & report harmful content. A great example is Blacksky, by @rudyfraser.com, which offers users independent, self-governed social spaces.

In our latest episode of Safe Space, now available wherever you get your podcasts, our guest, Aaron Rodericks, reveals how he stays centered in a demanding industry like trust and safety. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Take a listen today and see if Aaron’s practices or insights inspire you.

NEW EPISODE: John Starr talks with @aaron.bsky.team, Head of Trust & Safety at Bluesky! From public servant to tech expert, Aaron shares why breaking into trust & safety is harder than ever and why specialists matter. Watch the full conversation now! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebeG...

Season 2 of our podcast, Safe Space, drops May 28th with our first guest @aaron.bsky.team of Bluesky! Check out the trailer for a preview of what's in store — a great series of interviews with some of the most interesting people in trust & safety. Subscribe now: safespacepodcast.buzzsprout.com

AI is creating new risks for digital platforms—with the rise of explicit deepfake images of minors. In her interview with PBS NewsHour, Thorn's Melissa Stroebel addressed this growing risk and what tech platforms must do now to respond. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNqG...

From #socialwork to social networks, Jerrel Peterson shares his unexpected journey into Trust & Safety—and why soft skills (and skepticism) matter just as much as technical ones. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: safespacepodcast.buzzsprout.com

Big news! Our updated site is live, and we’re making it easier than ever to learn how Safer’s #trust & #safety solutions can help protect your platform. The fight for a #saferinternet starts with the right tools. Watch the demo today: safer.io