Microsoft launches free tool to identify online child predators

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Microsoft in collaboration with several key partners has been working for the past 14 months to develop a technique that is capable of detecting online predators attempting to groom children for exploitation.

The campaign, dubbed Project Artemis, got under way in November 2018 during a Microsoft 360 Cross-Industry Hackathon that was co-sponsored by WePROTECT Global Alliance and the Child Dignity Alliance. In collaboration with The Meet Group, Roblox, Kik and Thorn, the initiative aims to identify potential instances of online child grooming by applying a technique to historical text-based conversations.

As Microsoft highlights in a recent blog post, the technique evaluates and “rates” conversation characteristics and assigns an overall probability rating to the chat. This rating can then be used to determine if a conversation should be flagged as potentially inappropriate and passed along to human moderators for review. From there, it would be up to the moderators to determine if further action – such as involving law enforcement – is necessary.

“We are making the tool available at this point in time to invite further contributions and engagement from other technology companies and organizations with the goal of continuous improvement and refinement.”

Microsoft said it has used the technique on its Xbox platform “for several years” and is exploring its use in other chat platforms like Skype.

From January 10, companies and services interested in testing out the technique can contact Thorn for licensing and adoption instructions.

Masthead credit: Laptop by GaudiLab

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/83499-microsoft-launches-free-tool-identify-online-child-predators.html

 

[Lionvibez]

Good all of these degenerate need to be found and caught and hung in public.

 

[onestepforward]

Kudos to MS.

 

[3volv3d]

Good all of these degenerate need to be found and caught and hung in public.

Well don't come to the UK where we have a city (bath) that has a shrine to them, and people pay to go in.

But read that post, microsoft says "we have words used in previous chats and dictionaries, we snoop for everyones conversations, and flag anyone who uses words, then snoop further to find out who used rude ones ( most people ), then find out of those who is chatting to children".

Or did I misread that all they did was take away everyones entire privacy to try and catch a few people?

 

[Nobina]

If it mistakes a person for a groomer now that's gonna be awkward. We're talking about Microsoft here.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Well don't come to the UK where we have a city (bath) that has a shrine to them, and people pay to go in.

But read that post, microsoft says "we have words used in previous chats and dictionaries, we snoop for everyones conversations, and flag anyone who uses words, then snoop further to find out who used rude ones ( most people ), then find out of those who is chatting to children".

Or did I misread that all they did was take away everyones entire privacy to try and catch a few people?

Almost certainly not, MS' lawyers have seen to that. By using their services, you have accepted terms of service which allow them to do that.

 

[ypsylon]

Like satnav which only can plot a route to Vatican. LOL

Of course all of that scum should be fed to the sharks, no question.

But keep in mind. M$ is only mildly less bound on total surveillance than North Korea. And they have glorious success stories like M$ Defender blocking/corrupting Windows OS because flagged itself as a malware without any alternative except doing clean install. Yeah a lot of confidence in that system on my part...