Get to know the people behind INHOPE with our board member spotlight.

Sebastian Fitting

Board Member

Tell us a bit about yourself

I have a background as a lawyer, but since my legal clerkship after university, I’ve been working at eco's hotline. With over ten years of experience analysing illegal online content, I’ve taken on additional roles, including serving as a liaison with law enforcement and leading awareness-raising workshops. Being something of a tech enthusiast has been a real asset in handling the challenges of this work. After my shifts safeguarding children online, I often switch gears to protect my guildmates as a healer in World of Warcraft.

Why do you think INHOPE is important?

There are, of course, the immediately visible advantages of being part of the network: the transfer and sharing of knowledge and expertise on all hotline levels, e.g. through INHOPE’s analyst workshops and trainings or analysts’ bursary visits to fellow hotlines. Additionally, it also fosters a sense of global community, uniting organisations from diverse backgrounds to work towards a shared goal.

Why did you decide to join the Board?

Joining the Board felt like both a personal challenge and a chance to give back. As an analyst, I’ve benefited immensely from being part of the INHOPE network, and I want to contribute to maintaining, promoting, and improving its core services, particularly for analysts. I also aim to bring my legal expertise and hotline experience to the table while staying open to new developments across the network.

What experiences from your role at eco will benefit you as a Board member?

To this day, working as a hotline analyst keeps me connected to frontline cases, and this experience will inform my work on the Board. First-hand knowledge of the collaboration benefits within the network has also shaped my perspective and approach. Lastly, working with external stakeholders, like law enforcement, has given me valuable insights, and their perspectives will remain an important consideration.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the network?

Adapting to the fast-changing tech landscape will always be a challenge, as will balancing the perspectives of such a diverse network. It is up to the Board and the secretariat to achieve this. However, the first priority should and has to be to ensure the proper foundation and sustainability for the shared work, so that it has the resources it needs.

What's your vision for the future?

As hotline staff, especially analysts, we see first-hand that young people’s online experiences are not always positive. My vision for the future is an online space that balances freedom and restrictions with a sense of shared social responsibility. By modelling this balance, both online and offline, we can provide young people with a safer environment while encouraging them to grow up with safety and responsibility in mind.