Microsoft launches anti-grooming tool for online messaging apps

Microsoft launches anti-grooming tool ‘Artemis’ to tackle sexual exploitation of children and stop paedophiles targeting youngsters online

  • Tool is free for ‘qualified online service companies that offer a chat function’ 
  •  Scans messages in an app and software gives the conversation a ‘rating’ 
  • Apps can determine at what severity an alert is triggered for human review 
  • Child protection charity workers can then review the conversation and report it to the authorities and law enforcement if necessary  

Microsoft has released its ‘Artemis’ tool which scans messaging apps for signs of grooming activity, in a bid to clamp down on paedophiles and sex offenders online.  

The tool, which Microsoft has made free to use, has been trialled on Xbox live and could be added to any messaging platform or app. 

Artemis will automatically scan and rate the content of conversations and then alert human moderators at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US if anything appears untoward. 

According to Microsoft, moderators will be able to access to the private conversations and, if there is good reason to believe a child is at risk, alert the authorities. 

 

Microsoft has released its ‘Artemis’ tool which scans messaging apps for signs of grooming activity in a bid to clamp down on paedophiles and sex offenders online. The tool has been made free to use by Microsoft

HOW WILL PROJECT ARTEMIS WORK?  

Chat platforms partner with Microsoft and install the free software via Thorn – a non-profit dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse.  

Artemis will then automatically scan and ‘rate’ the contents of conversations in messages. 

Microsoft has not revealed how the software will detect or rate the conversations for fear of allowing predators to circumnavigate Artemis.  

If they reach a certain level, set by the individual apps, an alert is sent to a human moderator for review. 

According to Microsoft, moderators will have access to the private conversations and, if there is good reason to believe a child is at risk, it will alert the police and other appropriate bodies, including child protection services.    

Users themselves cannot download the software. Instead, it is up to companies to embrace the protective tech. 

Microsoft says only ‘qualified online service companies that offer a chat function’ will be able to make use of the tool. 

Each messaging platform that partners with Microsoft and uses Artemis will then be responsible for how they use the programme. 

They will also determine what ‘rating’ triggers human intervention. 

Incidents of suspected child sexual exploitation will be referred to the NCMEC for review, as well as the local law enforcement agency. 

Although the tool will be ubiquitous to all accounts on the platform, its design means it will only pick up on attempts to groom and manipulate children and not any sordid conversations between consenting adults.

Microsoft has kept the workings of Artemis quiet to ensure paedophiles do not find workarounds but it is believed triggers will involve various combinations of certain messages, phrases and words.  

These are calibrated from known techniques employed by sex offenders to trap vulnerable children. 

Microsoft says it is unlikely to trigger an alert for review by a human moderator from innocent conversations. 

If an innocent conversation does slip through the net and goes to review, the human moderator can deescalate the situation and no authorities will be involved. 

Should a conversation be flagged for human review, the participants in the conversation are not made aware, to avoid tipping off the potential paedophile.  

Artemis will automatically scan and rate the content of conversations and then alert human moderators for review. According to Microsoft, moderators would have access to the private conversations and, if there was good reason to believe a child was at risk, alert the authorities

Artemis will automatically scan and rate the content of conversations and then alert human moderators for review. According to Microsoft, moderators would have access to the private conversations and, if there was good reason to believe a child was at risk, alert the authorities

Courtney Gregoire, Microsoft’s chief digital safety officer, said in a statement: ‘Microsoft has a long-standing commitment to child online protection.

‘First and foremost, as a technology company, we have a responsibility to create software, devices and services that have safety features built in from the outset. 

‘We leverage technology across our services to detect, disrupt and report illegal content, including child sexual exploitation.

‘And, we innovate and invest in tools, technology and partnerships to support the global fight needed to address online child sexual exploitation.’

Mrs Gregoire says Microsoft has been using the technique for several years on its own Xbox platform, and trialled it on Skype. 

The platform will now be made available for use by third parties tomorrow, with interested companies going through Thorn, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse. 

Mrs Gregoire says: ‘Project Artemis is a significant step forward, but it is by no means a panacea. 

‘Child sexual exploitation and abuse online and detecting online child grooming are weighty problems. 

‘But we are not deterred by the complexity and intricacy of such issues.’



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