Action speaks louder than words and with this year presenting two decades of striving for a safer internet we see how collective action results in the landmark event that is Safer Internet Day. And, as a global network, we look at ourselves and our impact on the association of hotlines across the years.

Supporting and expanding the network of hotlines

We support hotlines and their partner organisations through training, best practices, quality assurance and staff welfare. Safer Internet Day is an opportunity to unite our message and speak up for the member hotlines.


Highlights from the years

To achieve our vision of a world free of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) online, INHOPE supports our existing network of member hotlines and encourages the creation of new hotlines worldwide. INHOPE supports hotlines at each part of their journey, from creation, awareness-raising, and establishing a reporting structure to daily operation. The Swiss organisation clickandstop.ch, for instance, is currently in the process of establishing a national presence in the country.

Member hotlines of the INHOPE network receive our undivided support in raising awareness among the public, establishing a national presence and creating a reporting structure. The cooperation of actions between the INHOPE and Insafe networks has enabled us to develop the necessary flexibility to keep up with fast-paced changes in the digital environment. For example, the Bulgarian hotline SafenetBG which became part of the INHOPE network in the year 2006, has made great strides in its efforts to protect children online. With continuous support from the network, the hotline has processed over 620.000 reports of harmful and illegal material so far. In 2015 the hotline was awarded by the Ministry of Interior for outstanding contribution to the work of law enforcement in the country.

In the year 2022, we have expanded our network to 50 hotlines and welcomed Te Protejo México, Isigurt (CRCA) Albania, NetPatrola Serbia, Internet Hotline Center Japan (SIEMPLE) as provisional members and INCIBE Spain, ECPAT Philippines and APLE Cambodia as full members.

Seven new INHOPE member hotlines represent our vision of establishing hotlines worldwide, especially in high-risk areas. Our target list always includes major internet usage expansion zones (Asia Pacific, South Asia, Latin America & Africa and MENA) as this is a vital factor in the removal of CSAM online. By welcoming APLE Cambodia, and Te Protejo Mexico to the INHOPE network, we are expanding into some of the most critical zones for combating CSAM.

Capacity building, training and technology

We provide our network with a secure IT infrastructure “ICCAM” (hosted by INTERPOL) that facilitates the exchange of CSAM reports between hotlines and law enforcement. The strength of our hotlines depends on the tools they are provided, their ability to remove CSAM is directly linked to how we facilitate the training of analysts to handle reports and the exchange of data.


Highlights from the years

The INHOPE ICCAM platform was developed by Ziuz Forensics with funding from the European Commission under the Safer Internet and Connecting Europe Facility programmes. Since its creation in X year, it has been implemented by X hotlines in X countries.

Another tool provided by the INHOPE network is Report Box. Developed under the umbrella of project ESCAPE, Report Box is a plug-and-play solution for hotlines that want to start processing reports but might not have the capacity to create their own reporting structure. Over the past year, Report Box has gone through several technological advancements and has been updated based on feedback from our member hotlines.

To continuously ensure the highest standard of operation across the entire network, INHOPE provides technological tools to member hotlines and conducts regular regional content assessment and training sessions. Regularly, INTERPOL and INHOPE conduct joint regional training in high-risk areas such as Mexico City and Singapore.

To truly feel the invaluable presence of a network, and the opportunity for knowledge-sharing and cooperation, INHOPE has implemented a peer-to-peer program for member hotlines. During peer-to-peer exchanges, analysts from different hotlines get a chance to share best practices, get an insight into the workings of another hotline and exchange knowledge and experiences.

Advocacy and awareness

We promote for legislative and policy changes to support our vision of a digital world free from CSAM. The drive for change is more than about having a conversation.

Highlights from the network

Our network of member hotlines works hard to continuously create, organise and publish educational and awareness resources in different forms. Over the past year, hotlines worldwide contributed in their own way to creating a better and safer internet for all. From participating in a panel discussion at the European Parliament on the new legislative proposal from the EU Commission, like ECPAT Sweden, or hosting online webinars on the topic of preventing child sexual abuse through adolescents such as Save the Children Denmark and Save the Children Finland - each of our members demonstrate great dedication to our mission.

Some hotlines, like SafeLine Greece, in collaboration with the Revenge Porn Helpline from the UK, even develop innovative online safety tools designed to support victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse, while others publish informative content, such as practical guides for parents or educational articles concerning the hypersexualization of women in media.

To enable collaboration, and foster knowledge exchange amongst global industry partners, multi-stakeholders and trust and safety professionals, INHOPE has launched the Expert Insights webinars – a series of online sessions during which experts address current CSAM trends, discuss the latest technological developments, provide training, and best practices for hotline analysts and deep dive into the current state of our digital environment.

One of the worrying trends recognised in 2022 was the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism. To combat this INHOPE started a collaboration with ECPAT and their reporting platform "Don't Look Away" which promotes reporting all around the world. As part of this campaign, INHOPE in collaboration with ECPAT published professional Resources for the Travel & Tourism sector to support us in the fight against child sexual exploitation. This campaign furthermore aimed to create awareness of the impact of reporting and encourage everyone to report any suspicious activity they encounter at home or while travelling.

Recognizing the importance of appropriate language when reporting cases of child sexual abuse material, as part of Safer Internet Day 2022, INHOPE launched a twelve-part mini-series "Shaping the Story". INHOPE developed a framework for media guidelines intended for media outlets and control standards to ensure that Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) stories follow best practices set by child protection organisations.

Inspired by last year’s success and on the occasion of the20th edition of Safer Internet Day, in 2023 INHOPE has launched yet another 12-part mini-series. Under the SID tagline “Together for a better internet, this series is dedicated to publishing resources related to creating a better and safer internet for all. Watch out for our social media posts with the hashtag #Togetherforabetterinternet to read articles on relevant topics such as non-consensual intimate images, or how to protect girls online.


Safer Internet Day would not be possible without the support of the European Union. Currently, the funding is provided by the Connecting Europe Facility programme (CEF). In the future, actions will be funded through the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL). Find out more about the European Commission’s new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) on the EC website.