What Tech Coalition does

Tech Coalition is a non-profit industry alliance founded in 2006 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that unites roughly 60 of the world's largest technology companies — including Meta, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Discord, Snap, Roblox, and Twitch — around the mission of combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA). It is led by President & CEO Sean Litton (since 2021), supported by a lean staff of 11-50, and governed by a board drawn from member companies including Verizon (current Board Chair), Amazon, Roblox, TikTok, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Yubo. The organization is funded by member company dues and supplementary grants and explicitly does not accept government funding.

Its core product is Lantern, the first cross-platform signal-sharing program of its kind, launched in November 2023. Lantern enables participating companies to upload and query structured signals — account information, URLs, behavioral indicators, keywords, and CSAM hashes — to detect and enforce against predators and content that evade single-platform detection. By end of 2025, Lantern had facilitated over 2 million OCSEA-related signal shares supporting 350,000+ enforcement actions, with member participation reaching 21 companies after a 2024-2025 financial-sector expansion that added Cash App, PayPal, Western Union, and Block Inc. Lantern is built on Meta's ThreatExchange technology and integrates open-source CSAM detection infrastructure (Hasher-Matcher-Actioner), PhotoDNA, Google's Content Safety API, and Discord's CLIP hashing model.

Adjacent programs include: Pathways (a non-member program for startups and SMEs that grew to 80 companies in 2025); the Safe Online Research Fund (academic research grants co-managed with End Violence / Safe Online, originally seeded in 2021 and replenished with an additional $1.5M); Project Protect (a coordinated industry action plan launched June 2020); the Trust: Voluntary Framework for Industry Transparency (launched June 2022 with WeProtect Global Alliance, mapped to EU DSA requirements via a Tremau partnership); the annual Initiate hackathon; PHVSpec (a video perceptual-hash benchmark built with UMass Amherst, Meta, Microsoft, Thorn, and Videntifier); and an ongoing Human Rights Impact Assessment by BSR. The organization reported member companies delivering 317 mileposts — concrete product, policy, and operational improvements — in 2025, more than double the 122 logged in 2024.

Name

Tech Coalition

Legal name

Technology Coalition, Inc.

Website

https://technologycoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tech Coalition is a 60-member non-profit industry alliance that built Lantern, the first cross-platform signal-sharing program for detecting online child sexual exploitation and abuse across major tech platforms, financial institutions, and SMEs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Child Safety Industry Alliance

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Safety & Exploitation Prevention Operations (CSAM detection workflows, escalation) (BPAAALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Risk Intelligence, Threat Monitoring & Crisis Response (Harmful trends, coordinated abuse) (BPAAALAN), Trust, Safety & Risk Support (Fraud, Abuse, Policy Enforcement) (BPAAABAI), App Store & Platform Governance (Apps, Extensions, Developer Compliance) (BPAAALAE), Policy Management, Training & Ethics/Whistleblowing (BPAEAPAI), Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Child safety programs
• Cross-platform signal sharing
• Online child exploitation
• Trust and safety frameworks
• CSAM detection tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Member Dues/Funding: Tech Coalition is funded by member company contributions. As a non-profit industry alliance, the organization does not generate revenue from products or services. Additional funding is received through partnerships for specific programs like the Safe Online Research Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tech Coalition is a non-profit industry alliance that operates Lantern, the first cross-platform signal-sharing program enabling 60 technology and financial member companies to securely share threat signals (account information, URLs, CSAM hashes, behavioral indicators, keywords) about users violating child safety policies. The coalition also runs Pathways (resources for smaller companies), the Safe Online Research Fund (academic grants), the Trust Framework (transparency reporting standard), and the PHVSpec video hash benchmark, convening working groups and hackathons to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Product overview

The Tech Coalition is an industry alliance of 60 technology companies united to protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA). The coalition operates multiple interconnected programs: Lantern is the core cross-platform signal sharing platform that enables member companies to share threat signals (accounts, URLs, CSAM hashes, behavioral indicators) to detect and disrupt cross-platform abuse, expanded to include financial institutions. Pathways provides child safety resources for startups and smaller companies. The Safe Online Research Fund supports academic research. Project Protect coordinates industry action, while the Trust Framework enables transparency reporting. Annual programs include the Initiate hackathon, multi-stakeholder forums, and Lantern/transparency reports. The coalition also developed tools like PHVSpec for benchmarking video hashing and adopted open-source projects like Hasher-Matcher-Actioner (HMA) for CSAM detection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lantern: The first cross-platform signal sharing program for companies to strengthen how they enforce their child safety policies against OCSEA.
• Project Protect
• Initiate
• Pathways
• Safe Online Research Fund

Products and services

• Lantern The first cross-platform signal sharing program that enables participating technology companies to securely share signals (account information, URLs, CSAM hashes, behavioral indicators, keywords) about activity and accounts that violate child safety policies, supporting cross-platform detection and disruption of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA).
• Lantern Financial Sector Expansion of the Lantern signal-sharing program to integrate eligible U.S.-based financial institutions so they can access 'consume-only' signals linked to financially motivated OCSEA (sextortion, trafficking, CSAM distribution) and trigger internal investigations in line with their policies and regulatory obligations.
• Pathways A no-cost program providing startups and small-to-medium-sized companies with access to exclusive tools, resources, expert advice, and guidance to strengthen child safety programs without full Tech Coalition membership requirements.
• Safe Online Research Fund A research funding initiative managed by Tech Coalition in partnership with End Violence Fund (Safe Online) that supports independent academic research on online child sexual exploitation and abuse, including grants for generative AI safety research.
• Trust: Voluntary Framework for Industry Transparency Voluntary framework providing flexible guidance to tech companies for transparency reporting on their efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse, developed in consultation with civil society and governments and aligned to EU Digital Services Act requirements through a separate Tremau partnership guide.
• PHVSpec Video Hash Benchmark A comprehensive benchmark for analyzing the effectiveness of perceptual hash algorithms and systems for videos, developed in collaboration with University of Massachusetts Amherst's Rescue Lab, Meta, Microsoft, Thorn, and Videntifier to guide industry improvement in CSAM detection accuracy and reliability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 317 mileposts (product/policy/operational changes) delivered by members in 2025, up from 122 in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WizzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026French social discovery app joined Tech Coalition as one of only three European members. Completed six-month Elevate pilot program before gaining membership. Uses Yoti for age verification and Bodyguard for content moderation. Shifted target demographic to users aged 16+ following stricter French regulations.
• Cash AppcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Financial sector pilot participant in Lantern. Six-month pilot evaluated integration of financial institutions into Lantern. Tech companies shared 1,935 signals indicating potential financially linked OCSEA activity, helping trigger 108 investigations by financial institutions.
• PayPalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Financial sector pilot participant in Lantern. Contributed to validating cross-sector collaboration for disrupting financial layer of OCSEA.
• Western UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024First company to join the Lantern financial sector pilot. Committed to disrupting financially motivated OCSEA through cross-sector signal sharing.
• DiscordcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant since November 2023. Discord enabled scaling of actioning of offending accounts and sharing of bad actor data points relating to highest-harm abuses with other participating companies. Discord has also acted on data points shared through the program, assisting in internal investigations.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant. Committed to exploring how to best contribute to the program and further collective fight against child sexual abuse and exploitation online. Unveiled latest Content Safety API model at Initiate 2024.
• MetacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant and major contributor. During pilot, used shared URLs to remove 10,000+ Facebook Profiles, Pages and Instagram accounts. Unveiled significant advancements to ThreatExchange (underlying Lantern tech) at Initiate 2024.
• SnapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant and contributor of sextortion-specific signals. Using Lantern to strengthen existing capabilities to identify and combat CSEA and predatory actors across platforms.
• TwitchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant. Committed to aggressive ramp-up of detection tools, Community Guidelines, and community education. Views industry collaboration as crucial for better outcomes.
• MEGAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant with zero tolerance for CSAM. Values sharing information across platforms to be more effective in removing objectionable content and closing accounts of anyone sharing illegal content.
• RobloxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant committed to protecting young users from cross-platform exploitation.
• QuoracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Lantern founding participant.
• ThorncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing grooming detection technology. Co-hosted webinar on understanding child safety risks with generative AI. Partner at Initiate hackathons. Provided CSAM detection tools integrated into Lantern.
• Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned to conduct Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) on Lantern program. Provides ongoing guidance on human rights considerations. Developed wellness resources guidance for employees handling sensitive content.
• WeProtect Global AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of biennial Multi-Stakeholder Forum on financial sextortion. Partnered on Trust Framework consultation with civil society and government. Summit partner for Trust Framework launch in June 2022.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLantern participants report violations to NCMEC's CyberTipline. Tech Coalition works with NCMEC to help develop reporting templates for AI-generated OCSEA. NCMEC operates the national clearinghouse for leads and tips regarding child sexual exploitation.
• Safe Online (End Violence Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership managing the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund. End Violence is the world's largest non-governmental funder dedicated to ending online CSEA. Has invested $47+ million into 55+ projects across 70 countries. Additional $1 million support announced for research fund.
• Childnet InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Tech Coalition to host youth panel at Initiate 2024 featuring representatives aged 13-17 from their Youth Advisory Board. Provides youth perspectives on generative AI risks and protection.
• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member. Hosted Initiate hackathon at AWS Skills Center in Seattle. Senior Corporate Counsel Kristine Dorrain noted importance of collaboration to reduce predators' ability to harm children online.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member and founding member. Led development of Trust Framework through working group. Liz Thomas (Director of Public Policy, Digital Safety) led the framework development process. Hosted TrustCon 2024 keynote panel.
• ECPAT InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild safety expert organization providing endorsement of Lantern program. Emphasized need for platforms to unite in action against child sexual exploitation.
• Lucy Faithfull FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild safety expert organization. Congratulated Tech Coalition on launching Lantern and encouraged tech companies to participate in the program.
• Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDomain abuse mitigation services provider. PIR sponsors free access to IWF Domain Alerts and TLD Hopping List for registries and registrars.
• Block Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of first two companies to join Lantern financial sector pilot alongside Western Union. Contributed to evaluating whether signal sharing leads to positive outcomes in fighting OCSEA.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P): Canadian non-profit operating Cybertip.ca and Project Arachnid (automated CSAM detection). Direct peer providing technology and reporting infrastructure for child safety with overlapping mission and similar non-profit member-funded model.
• Internet Watch Foundation (IWF): UK-based non-profit hotline for reporting CSAM and domain abuse mitigation. Partners with Tech Coalition (sponsored free Domain Alerts/TLD Hopping List for PIR), provides overlapping CSAM detection and reporting capabilities, serving similar mission and member types.
• WeProtect Global Alliance: Global multi-stakeholder alliance combating online child sexual exploitation. Co-hosts Tech Coalition's biennial Multi-Stakeholder Forum and partnered on the Trust Framework launch; operates as a global alliance with overlapping membership and complementary programs.
• Digital Trust & Safety Partnership: Industry coalition of major tech companies focused on developing best practices and frameworks for trust & safety. Comparable member-driven alliance structure with overlapping big-tech membership but broader T&S scope beyond child safety.
• INHOPE: International network of hotlines combating online child sexual abuse material. Operates the IHR (International Hash List) and ICCAM system - direct peer in the global CSAM hotline/infrastructure ecosystem with overlapping platform relationships.
• Thorn: Thorn is a non-profit technology organization that builds tools to combat child sexual exploitation online, including the Safer photo hash-matching tool and the grooming classifier co-developed with Tech Coalition. Direct peer in mission, technology focus, and member-company collaboration model.

Emerging players

• Lucy Faithfull Foundation: UK-based child protection charity focused on prevention of child sexual abuse, including online. Endorsed Tech Coalition's Lantern launch; an emerging peer with overlapping mission in prevention, but smaller and more UK-focused.
• Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI): Non-profit focused on online safety for children and families, convenes industry, government, and academia. Emerging peer with overlapping industry convening role and complementary (rather than directly competing) scope.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): US-based non-profit operating the CyberTipline that receives reports from Tech Coalition's Lantern participants. A larger, established institution in the same child safety space with broader mandate (missing children, exploitation prevention, victim services).
• End Violence Partnership (Safe Online Fund): World's largest non-governmental funder dedicated to ending online CSEA, co-manages Tech Coalition's Safe Online Research Fund. A broader funding/advocacy incumbent in the same child safety space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tech-coalition-inc
• Xx.com/tech_coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tech Coalition