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We aim to bolster the entire ecosystem, striving to minimise and prevent online sexual child exploitation (CSE). We are committed to improving the detection, reporting, prosecution, and prevention of this atrocious crime.
ICMEC Australia believes those working on the frontlines need enhanced information and tools to bolster their capabilities. These organisations must be interconnected to share information, data, and best practices, enabling us to be stronger and more united in our fight against CSE.
We have several programs to achieve this goal and create meaningful change.
The ICMEC Australia Data Product, ‘Lighthouse’, is the first in Australia and a pioneering innovation. Lighthouse will allow Australian financial services institutions to be leaders in global financial crime and intelligence, solidifying their corporate responsibility and contributions to protecting children.
Lighthouse has collaborated with leading data partners who are equally invested in the detection and prevention of child sexual abuse. By transposing millions of data artefacts into a localised product, Lighthouse allows Australian banks and payment platforms to enhance their capabilities in the fight against those who prey on children.
The Lighthouse Data Product provides clues for suspected CSE activities, as well as indicators in the access, possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These can then be compared to or viewed by financial institutions within their internal systems to flag potential cases for reporting.
By centralising access to this Data Product and analytics for participating financial services companies, Lighthouse is significantly amplifying the impact of child protection efforts. No longer is each financial institution required to individually negotiate access to these bespoke, international data sources and face the internal challenges of extracting, transforming, and loading the data into a usable format. Now, a user-ready product can be provided to any financial services institution across Australia.
Lighthouse also provides several built-in tools for analytics and trends where users can see the visualisation of the data in time, platforms, and regional proximity.
All users of Lighthouse receive comprehensive onboarding training on using this unique data product, as well as access to ongoing support from our data products team to answer queries about its use.
The ICMEC Australia Collaboration Working Group (CWG) is the first in Australia. It is focused on detecting, reporting, and preventing financial transactions related to CSE. It welcomes participation from any financial institution in Australia committed to protecting children online.
The Working Group brings together financial crime teams from up to 15 banks and payment platforms, collaborating closely with law enforcement representatives from various Australian states, territories, and the federal government.
Each participating bank recognises that combatting CSE payments requires collective action rather than independent efforts. These companies are uniting to establish a unified front against abuse by sharing information, trends, and best practices across the industry.
The Group also works to implement various innovative pilot projects to enhance their capacity to detect CSE. To safeguard the confidentiality of information, all meetings are closed, conducted by invitation only, and adhere to Chatham House rules.
If you want to participate in the group, please contact Rosie Campo: rcampo@icmec.org.au
At ICMEC Australia, our partners working on the frontlines of fighting child sexual exploitation (CSE), consistently report numerous ways that offenders exploit new technologies to harm children. One of those critical developments is Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Unfortunately, there are significant risks associated with AI related to CSE, particularly AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Many mistakenly believe that AI-generated material is harmless because it does not depict real children. However, this is false. For instance, AI-generated material is often trained using existing CSAM, which contains images of real children who have already suffered immense trauma, to produce new content and further harm.
It's important to acknowledge that AI has both positive and negative impacts on child protection, as AI can be used to identify and investigate cases of CSE. Here in Australia, we need to determine how we can harness the benefits of AI whilst minimising potential risks.
Given the rapid technological advancements in AI, fostering cross-industry engagement is essential. Hence, we've established the SaferAI for Children Coalition, the first national collaboration of cross-industry expert stakeholders. This Coalition comprises representatives from nonprofit organisations, law enforcement, government, academia, and regulators, all dedicated to addressing AI's implications for child protection.
To learn more about our work in this area, please contact Dannielle Kelly: dkelly@icmec.org.au
At ICMEC Australia, one of our core values is aligning with and supporting our colleagues' advocacy and prevention campaigns across the child protection sector.
Unfortunately, this crime is rarely discussed, let alone addressed, and we aim to raise awareness about it. Each conversation about this pressing issue helps to shine more light on this dark activity.
Policy submissions
ICMEC Australia contributes submissions to several key government and industry policy consultations as part of our advocacy initiatives.
Our submissions include:
ICMEC Australia acknowledges the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners and works closely with them to identify areas that need strengthening and provides them with the necessary tools whenever possible.
Our training programs leverage the expertise of Australian and international law enforcement, boosting contemporary knowledge with training from subject matter experts and internationally renowned child protection leaders. Within Australia, we collaborate with our state, territory and commonwealth partners to identify future trends and establish best practices.
Our upcoming training partnerships include:
ICMEC Australia acknowledges Traditional Owners throughout Australia and their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and Elders past and present.
