ICMEC Australia

ICMEC Australia serves as a crucial advocate and resource in the fight against online child sexual exploitation. We are boldly confronting this issue when most would rather avoid it. Alongside our coalition of partners, we strive to proactively halt and prevent its occurrence. Subscribe to our ICMEC Australia newsletter to stay informed about our initiatives, successes, and ongoing efforts in combatting online child sexual exploitation. This month, we shine a spotlight on Dannielle Kelly, who leads our advocacy and training as Head of Capacity & Prevention. Stay updated with all our latest news and insights! Subscribe here https://lnkd.in/d6EfZJDb #SubscribeNow #StayInformed #ICMECAustralia #newsletter #AdvocacyandTraining

As we approach the holiday season, ICMEC Australia extends our heartfelt thanks to our stakeholders, partners, and supporters. Your ongoing dedication and commitment to protecting children have made this year truly impactful.   We wish you a joyful and restful holiday period filled with peace and connection. We look forward to continuing our important work together in the new year, striving to create a safer world for all children. Please note that the ICMEC Australia office will be closed from 20 December and will re-open on Monday, 6 January.   Thank you for your unwavering support. Happy holidays! 🎄✨

Last month, the Australian Banking Association (ABA), in collaboration with Westpac, unveiled a global initiative to prioritise customer safety in the design of banking products and services.   Central to this initiative is the Safety by Design toolkit, created by Westpac and now available to the broader sector.   This resource offers comprehensive guidance to banks, enabling them to design products and services that enhance customer protection against financial abuse while also aiding in the identification of perpetrators.   ICMEC Australia was proud to be a part of this initiative and is here to support those in the financial sector in combatting child sexual exploitation.    Feel free to read more about this amazing initiative here:   https://lnkd.in/ggJpbewv https://lnkd.in/gst6DcHP

ICMEC Australia is honored to have been part of this documentary and are thrilled that it is now available to stream on Stan in Australia.

2024 has been a pivotal year for ICMEC Australia. ⭐ We proudly launched our first-ever Impact Report and hosted two landmark events: the ICMEC Australia Symposium: Vigilant Disruption of CSE and the SaferAI for Children Summit. Both events fostered meaningful collaboration and drove innovation in child protection. Catch up on the highlights by viewing the event recaps, courtesy of Modified Photography: 📽️ https://lnkd.in/g9FkJzZc https://lnkd.in/gVb5sA_N Our work continues to serve as a vital resource in the fight against online child sexual exploitation (CSE). Learn more about our initiatives and hear from our new CEO, Colm Gannon, in our latest newsletter: ➡️ https://shorturl.at/y5bFv #ICMECAustralia #Newsletter #ChildProtection #ImpactReport #SaferAI #InnovationForGood

Looking for support during the school holidays? Help keep children and young people safe online this holiday season. Discover the free resources from the eSafety Commissioner designed for students, families, and school staff: ⬇️

This year, ICMEC Australia partnered with The University of Queensland's Bachelor of Social Science program for an applied research project. Five final-year Bachelor of Social Science students have completed a year-long research project developed in collaboration with ICMEC Australia and their academic supervisors. Their research focused on: ‘Exploring the social, policy, and legislative implications of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.’ As perpetrators of child sexual exploitation (CSE) continue to adapt to technological advancements, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), this evolving crime highlights the necessity of ongoing research to uncover data-driven insights and evidence-based solutions. This initiative has provided valuable insights that will inform our work and contribute to the broader child protection response community. We are proud to have supported these students, who are driven by a passion to make a difference in this dynamic field, and we celebrate their contributions to this critical area. Thank you to the students Aariyana Hussain, Kassandra Buck, Ramida Suttipron, Suparada Pongpisan and Ana Maria Lorita. Their one-page summary report, attached as a PDF, is a testament to their hard work and dedication. The full report will be made available on our website in due course. 

Collaboration is central to ICMEC Australia’s mission to combat child sexual exploitation (CSE).    This week, we hosted a closed Monthly Brown Bag (MBB), delving into a compelling case led by Queensland Police Service’s (QPS) Townsville Child Abuse Unit. The investigation showed the power of joint agency efforts – which united law enforcement, government bodies, and financial institutions to dismantle live-streamed child trafficking networks.    The session, presented by Detective Sergeant Fraser Northey of QPS, shed light on the role advanced technology and cross-sector partnerships can play in identifying and pursuing perpetrators of this heinous crime, highlighting the strength of collective action in safeguarding children.    Our MBBs are a highly valuable resource for industry professionals from financial institutions, law enforcement, government, academia, and non-profit organisations to stay connected and hear key insights relating to child protection. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop about our future events: https://lnkd.in/gJD_XBMG    #Collaboration #ChildProtection #ICMECAustralia #IndustryLeadership 

We are proud to have sponsored and supported our ICMEC Australia Prevention and Capacity Coordinator, Mikaela Jago, in her participation at the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership Forum in Vietnam. Mikaela delivered an insightful presentation on “The Tech Arms Race We Can’t Afford to Lose: Protecting ASEAN’s Children.” Congratulations to Mikaela Jago and all of the delegates! 👏 👏 👏

Recently, ICMEC Australia was featured in media coverage that spotlighted the urgent need for businesses to adopt proactive measures to safeguard children, drawing attention to alarming cases of corporate resources being misused to access illegal content and emphasising the importance of implementing robust child safeguarding policies. Last week, our team attended the On Us: Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children launch of the Child Safeguarding Business Principles, designed to help companies mitigate the risk of child abuse crimes. This cross-sector initiative reinforces the message that child protection is a shared responsibility—even for businesses that do not work directly with children. Adopting these principles is just the first step. Businesses must also enhance their systems for detecting and reporting abuse. ICMEC Australia offers valuable guidance and support in this area. As an independent not-for-profit organisation, we collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders—including financial institutions, corporations, law enforcement, policymakers, academics, and NGOs—to develop tools and strategies that safeguard children from harm. Rosie Campo, Head of Collaboration, emphasises: “At ICMEC Australia, we’re committed to supporting businesses in strengthening their child safeguarding measures. We urge companies to enhance their detection and reporting systems to combat child sexual exploitation and help create a safer world for all children.” #ChildProtection #CorporateResponsibility #ICMECAustralia #SaferBusiness #OnUs