16/11/21: Galaxkey, the cybersecurity platform known for its innovative approach to protecting sensitive data simply and effectively, has won funding to develop a platform that will enable children to communicate safely online – without risk of sexual exploitation. It will develop the platform with its trusted technology partners Yoti and Image Analyzer.
The funding has been granted by the UK government, as a part of their Safety Tech Challenge Fund, which was launched in September 2021 by Home Secretary, Priti Patel.
The aim of the challenge is to demonstrate how tech companies can detect images and videos showing sexual abuse of children whilst ensuring end-to-end encryption is not compromised.
It is a part of the UK governments ongoing commitment to tackling child sexual exploitation, internet safety and security.
Why do we have this challenge?
In 2020, tech companies identified and reported 21 million global instances of online child abuse. It takes place every day, on readily available social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Social media platforms are planning to achieve end-to-end encryption in the near future, however, with this plan comes great risk. The Home Office has estimated that if the plan goes ahead, it will remove 12 million reports of child sexual abuse each year. That’s because no one – the platform itself, or law enforcement agencies – will be able to see messages passed from sender to recipient.
To provide a solution, Galaxkey, Yoti and Image Analyzer will work together to innovate a safe platform that will protect and give complete freedom of communication, without interception or compromise. A platform that will enable parents to have a safe option for their children to communicate safely online.
This platform will:
– Provide end-to-end encryption messaging
– Verify the age of the person using the platform
– Perform explicit content detection
– Securely report any possibility of explicit content
About the challenge
Galaxkey CEO, Randhir Shinde said “This challenge clearly proves that the UK Government is serious about individual privacy and data protection – values that Galaxkey also holds firm. We look forward to meeting the challenge and pioneering a new, innovative technology solution that will enable the global population to progress and communicate online in safety”
Of the opportunity, Galaxkey Chairman, Sir George Zambellas said, “This opportunity reflects our commitment to online child safety, by combining high-quality encryption and specialist content detection, in support of the UK’s Online Safety Bill.”
Yoti CEO, Robin Tombs said “We are proud to be putting our solutions forward to encourage innovation, helping change the digital space to better protect children online. We thank the Safety Tech Challenge Fund for welcoming the use of tech to tackle the rise in online-linked sexual crimes. And we look forward to working with our partners to create tools that make the internet a safer place for children.
Cris Pikes, CEO at Image Analyzer said “We are delighted to be collaborating with Galaxkey and Yoti to deliver this exciting, first-of-a-kind technology pilot. It recognises the importance of protecting user’s data and privacy whilst addressing the inherent risks associated with encryption. As a ground breaking first the solution will enable users to access all of the benefits related to encryption. It will also allow clean data streams and peace-of-mind within specific use case scenarios such as educational sharing”.
About Us
About Galaxkey: Galaxkey is a cybersecurity platform that protects the sensitive information of businesses simply and effectively. The platform includes military-grade email encryption, file transfer, workspace and digital document sign. Founded in 2010 by tech entrepreneur Randhir Shinde, Galaxkey has since developed into a global enterprise. We have offices in UK, UAE, India and the USA. Please visit www.galaxkey.com to learn more.
About Yoti: Yoti is a digital identity and biometric technology company that allows organisations to verify identities and trusted credentials online and in person. Yoti’s products span identity verification, age verification, document eSigning, access management, and authentication. Over 10 million people have downloaded the free Yoti app globally. Yoti is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Polish. For more information please visit Yoti.com
About Image Analyzer: Image Analyzer provides AI-based content moderation technology for image, video and streaming media, including live-streamed footage uploaded by users. Image Analyzer’s technology has been designed to identify visual risks in milliseconds. This includes illegal content, and images and videos that are deemed harmful to users, especially children and vulnerable adults. Learn more at www.image-analyzer.com
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