Ashton Kutcher's nonprofit detects nearly 1.4 million suspected child abuse files in six months

Technology has made it easier for children to connect with the world, but it has also created new ways for predators to exploit them. Tackling this problem requires more than removing harmful content after it appears online.

It also involves identifying victims, helping investigators trace abuse and giving technology companies tools to detect exploitation. This challenge prompted actor Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore to establish the DNA Foundation in 2009, which later became Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, a technology-driven nonprofit focused on protecting children from sexual exploitation online.According to Thorn's August 11, 2026, mid-year impact update and its retrospective, Thorn at Ten: A Decade of Progress, the organisation detected 1,399,479 suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files between January and June 2026.

Its victim identification tools were also being used by 1,046 law enforcement agencies during the same period. Separately, Thorn's 2025 impact figures reported that its victim identification technology was being used in 40 countries.