Big Tech Child Protection

1 Credit · Level: Undergraduate

In the relatively nascent trust and safety ecosystem, online child protection is perhaps the most mature area with many third-party tools and technological solutions to enhance online platforms’ content moderation operations. These includes Microsoft PhotoDNA to AI-based tools like Google’s Content Safety API; open-source tools like Facebook’s PDQ and commercial products like Thorn’s Safer; traditional tooling to modern, collaborative initiatives like the Tech Coalition's Lantern. The course is designed to foster critical thinking when engaging with Big Tech and their platforms. Through case studies, discussions and practical applications, you will learn how the technology to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has evolved over the past 15 years. Every class will include guest speakers, for example, the Tech Coalition on their new Lantern program that leverages signal sharing to detect and prevent the spread of child sexual exploitation and abuse across platforms.