Save the Children Australia will further enhance its child safeguarding practices by installing NetClean Proactive, a world-leading software technology to detect and stop child sexual exploitation material on work computers.

Child Wise, a social enterprise of Save the Children Australia, is the new local partner of global software company, NetClean. NetClean software provides one-of-a-kind technology to companies which identifies when an employee engages with online child exploitation materials on work devices.

For the past two months, Save the Children Australia has been trialing the software to enhance its already strong child safeguarding measures which include mandatory police checks, working with children checks and signing onto a strict safeguarding policy for all employees.

No other organisation in Australia, New Zealand, or the Pacific have yet implemented this software which has been so widely praised in Europe and the UK.

Save the Children Australia CEO Paul Ronalds said the agency was leading the way for other organisations in Australia and the region to strengthen their child safeguarding measures.

“Safeguarding children in Australia and overseas is at the very heart of what Save the Children does, so we are always seeking out new technologies and processes to ensure we are as effective as possible.

“By adding this additional technology, we are reinforcing Save the Children’s existing robust child safeguarding policies,” Ronalds said.

The NetClean ProActive suite aids the detection of child sexual abuse material files and traffic of all kinds, regardless of whether they have been introduced through web browsing, as an attachment to an email, a personal USB drive, through the dark web, or personal cloud storage.

Managing Director of Child Wise Natalie Siegel-Brown said NetClean’s technology is an important additional tool for companies who are serious about fighting child abuse.

“NetClean technology is installed by companies at the forefront of ethical leadership in 110 countries globally. These companies recognise that disrupting the production and flow of child abuse material not only creates a brighter future for children, but is also vital in protecting their IT environment and brand.

“Australian companies who install NetClean’s software solutions will be building safer online environments and helping to disrupt one of the most insidious threats to our children,” Siegel-Brown said.

CEO of NetClean Anna Borgström said that technology is critical in the fight against child exploitation.

“NetClean’s software products are able to notify companies as soon as anyone accesses child exploitation material on a work device. By following the trail of just one detected image, new material can be found, the companies will be protected and real-world harm towards children is reduced,” Borgström said.

Child Wise is actively engaging with Australian businesses to promote the safeguarding solutions that this technology can enable and supplement. The service to organisations includes NetClean software and the support of Child Wise to operationalise it, including referral pathways with police, incident handling protocols, post-incident review mechanisms, and implementing preventative measures.