On 5 March 2020, five countries and technology firms launched a ground-breaking set of principles to keep children safe online.

The Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse were drafted by the governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

These principles urge technology firms to take 11 actions to ensure children are protected from sexual exploitation on their platforms, ranging from:

• Pledging to stop existing and new child sexual abuse material appearing on platforms
• Taking steps to stop the live streaming of abuse
• Identifying and stop grooming and predatory behaviour
• Ensuring they are ahead of the threat as it evolves

Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Snap and Roblox have endorsed the principles, among other technology companies.

This collaboration is critical not only at the global level and between the largest tech players, but also at the national and regional levels and among smaller tech companies.

End Violence has invested over $37 million in effective, evidence-based programmes over the last three years, channelling support to our partners in over 50 countries. Much of this funding goes toward projects to prevent and end online child sexual exploitation and abuse, many of which work to increase collaboration between government and technology. These voluntary principles will offer our grantees a framework and a platform to engage with industry and build effective partnerships to keep children safe.

End Violence commends the launch of these principles and the collaboration between government and technology companies to make them come to life. We all have a role to play to combat the evolving – and ever-increasing – threats facing children online.