USING UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH TOP TECH COMPANIES, THE CAMPAIGN WILL WORK TO REDUCE DEMAND FOR THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
NEW YORK, NY—Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher launched the “Real Men” campaign today, which aims to raise awareness about the problem of child sex slavery and to stifle demand for child sexual exploitation and child pornography.
Moore and Kutcher, co-founders of the DNA Foundation, are working with numerous high-profile celebrities to create awareness about the existence of child sex slavery in the United States and to change cultural attitudes about the issue. They are also working with a coalition of tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Palantir, Mocana, Square, Attributor, Blekko, and many others to develop technological solutions to the problem.
“Many people don’t realize that this is happening right here in the United States,” Kutcher said. “Between 150,000 and 300,000 children are being trafficked, today, in this country, and we want to help make their voices heard.”
“The average age of a girl who is forced into sex slavery in our country is 13,” Moore said. “These girls aren’t choosing to be exploited in child pornography and forced into sexual acts. They are innocent children who are victims of abuse, and we want to stop this horrible crime.”
The “Real Men” campaign will feature high-profile men helping to spread the word about sexual exploitation of children in the United States across all types of media platforms. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and to stifle the demand for child sex trafficking and child pornography.
“We believe we can have the biggest impact on the demand,” Kutcher said. “If we can dissuade even one person from consuming this material, or from buying or selling a child, it is worth it.”
The DNA Foundation is attacking the problem on other fronts by convening a technology task force with many members of the country’s technology elite. The goal is for this group to develop and implement creative technology solutions to this global problem.
“As soon as we found out that 76% of transactions for sex with underage girls take place on the internet, we knew we had to get involved in developing technology solutions to this problem,” said Kutcher. “The energy and time that these companies are dedicating to eradicating this problem is incredible.”
“Protecting children is a responsibility shared by parents, policy makers, services like Facebook, and organizations like the DNA Foundation, which works tirelessly to develop technological solutions to end child sexual exploitation,” said Joe Sullivan, Facebook Chief Security Officer. “Facebook is proud to partner with DNA and the entire coalition to end child trafficking, and will never stop developing innovative and robust solutions to keep children safe.”
With the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the DNA technology task force has already made significant progress since its launch in March of this year.
“We are an enthusiastic supporter of the DNA tech initiative,” said NCMEC president Ernie Allen. “While technology is a tool some use to sexually exploit children, we believe that technology is also the key to finding solutions to this problem. We are committed to being a partner in the quest for such solutions.”
Larger tech companies are working hand in hand with smaller, specialized companies to ensure the most innovative and comprehensive technology solutions are developed.
"We are a part of this initiative because we think it can make a real difference," said Jack Dorsey, creator, co-founder and chairman of Twitter and CEO of Square. "Keeping the internet free of child sexual exploitation is very important to our company."
The group has met several times over the past six months and has already made significant progress across its initiatives, which mainly focus on predator deterrence, awareness and education.
"Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's passion and commitment have helped advance valuable discussions across the industry, opening the door for new ideas and exciting opportunities for the use of technology to confront this problem," said Pamela Passman, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs. "Microsoft has been working with leaders around the world on innovation to combat child sexual exploitation, such as PhotoDNA technology to disrupt online child pornography, and we are thrilled to work with the DNA Foundation on new ways to address the supply and demand fueling the child sex trade online."
DNA – The Demi and Ashton Foundation – aims to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide. Believing that freedom is a fundamental human right, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher founded DNA to help raise awareness about this horrific problem, change cultural stereotypes and rehabilitate the innocent victims. More information can be found at www.demiandashton.org.