Robbert Hoving is the President of the Dutch hotline Offlimits. He was voted in as President of the INHOPE Board in November 2024.
I began my career in international hospitality before moving to the public prosecutor’s office that sparked my commitment to online safety. After managing logistics during an enormous child sexual abuse material (CSAM) case, I committed myself to protecting children in the digital world. Fifteen years later, I’m honoured to have been chosen by the members for this important role.
In my personal life, I’m married and have two teenage sons. In my free time, I love playing heavy music on my electric guitar (much to the dismay of my family and neighbours), reading, cooking, and spending time with others. I’m also a Krav Maga instructor for kids, teaching resilience offline as I hope it transfers to the online world.
The 2nd Law of thermodynamics reminds us that in any system where energy flows, disorder (or entropy) increases - much like the internet today. INHOPE is a vital intervention that counteracts this chaos, particularly in the fight against CSAM. Hotlines reduce harm by removing content, preventing revictimisation, supporting law enforcement in victim identification, and pinpointing where further interventions are needed. INHOPE connects these efforts, creating a network that amplifies each action’s impact, all for the benefit of children and survivors.
I've dedicated my daily life to the protection of children online, so stepping into this role was an easy decision. The challenges shared at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) reflect the urgency of our work, and my goal is to ensure INHOPE remains stable while continuing to empower its hotlines. By working together, we can keep the collective flame of hope alive, ensuring children are protected and supported globally.
Offlimits is a relatively large organisation, with almost 50 highly skilled professionals working across a wide network that spans civil society, and the public and private sectors. As a Safer Internet Centre, we work with similar grants and organisational structures, which has given me valuable experience I can bring to INHOPE. Through Stop It Now, I also bring a strong prevention-focused perspective to the table. Being based in Amsterdam, combined with a proven track record across both international public and private sectors, may also be an asset. Finally, my background in hospitality has shaped a strong service-minded approach — something I believe is essential, as INHOPE’s role is to effectively support and facilitate its members.
The biggest opportunity lies in the collective knowledge, experience, and relationships within this remarkable network. Harnessing these strengths will be key to ensuring the association becomes stable, resilient, and effective once again.
My vision is that every child, everywhere, receives the same basic level of education, knowledge, and support to grow up resilient in the online world. This is not only about preventing victimisation, but also about reducing the risk of young people becoming perpetrators. Through our work at Stop It Now, we see how early exposure to harmful content can desensitise young people, creating a need for increasingly extreme material, including CSAM. Addressing this early and holistically is, to me, a crucial part of countering the wider disorder of the internet and the harm it causes. And when things do go wrong, support should always be swift, accessible, and effective.
