This report was co-authored between PUBLIC and OSTIA.

Report name

The International State of Safety Tech

Who wrote this report?

PUBLIC has partnered with the Online Safety Tech Industry Association (OSTIA) to research and report on the international Safety Tech landscape.

Best quote

"Online safety is a critical element of trust. So too are privacy, security, transparency, ethics, and inclusion. Without these foundations, digital products delivered by government will not gain the trust of the people."

–The Hon. Victor Dominello, NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government

Key takeaways:

  • We have identified over 350 Safety Tech providers operating internationally. We recognise there will be many more companies which offer Safety Tech solutions within a broader portfolio of products and services.
  • 64% of identified Safety Tech providers are headquartered in the UK or US, with smaller, emerging pockets of Safety Tech talent in Canada, Germany, France, Israel, and Ireland.
  • The majority of Safety Tech providers offer technologies and solutions that tackle multiple online harms. However across the providers we identified, the most prominent online harms addressed include hate, violent and graphic content, and mis/disinformation.
  • An increasing number of countries are looking to regulate online safety; however, regulatory divergence between a system-led and harm-led approach reduces the clarity of market signals to Safety Tech providers for long-term product development.
  • Safety Tech providers globally face a number of common challenges which require cooperation between international stakeholders, including barriers to data availability, a lack of standardised approaches to classify online harms (e.g. taxonomies), and limited awareness from government and law enforcement of available Safety Tech products and services.

What’s in this report?

This report provides an overview of the international Safety Tech landscape, a summary of the trends that drive the market currently, and 5 key recommendations for further growth opportunities in the sector. This report focuses on “Safety Tech”–innovative technologies and solutions to facilitate safer online experiences, and protect users from harmful content, contact, or conduct.

Why should you read this report?

Research on Safety Tech to date has focused almost exclusively on two key geographies, the United Kingdom and the United States. The International State of Safety Tech report is the first of its kind dedicated to the international landscape. It builds on and broadens out previous work by outlining the international market landscape through analysis on the number of Safety Tech players, the locations from which they operate, their focus areas and technologies, as well as the trends internationally and locally that impact them.

Who is this report for?

The key audience for this report is government, law enforcement, and other public bodies. As outlined in the research and recommendations, we are looking for engagement in the Safety Tech sector from these target audiences to support the growth of the market and to make online spaces safer internationally.

For any questions, comments, or feedback on the report, please reach out to Maya Daver-Massion.

🔗 Read the full report here. 🔗

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