Nansen.io

01/04/2026

Last week, Nansen had the privilege of presenting at the BlackSwan Conference in Perth with members of the Australian Computer Society Blockchain Committee.

Our presentation focused on the use of blockchain technology to protect women experiencing technology facilitated abuse. And the response reminded us just how much appetite there is for this discussion.

BlackSwan brought together some of the sharpest minds in emerging technology, and we were proud to contribute a perspective that is often missing from those rooms: what does this technology mean for people experiencing vulnerability, and how do we design it with their safety and access in mind from the start?

Blockchain offers something rarely available to people experiencing abuse. Verifiable, tamper proof evidence. Secure, decentralised records that cannot be altered or manipulated. A way to document harm that holds up, built on systems that don't rely on institutions that have historically let vulnerable people down.

And when you combine that with the potential of AI, the possibilities for improving safety, security and access for marginalised communities are genuinely significant.

The ACS Blockchain Committee is doing important work in this space, and we are proud to be part of that collaboration. Emerging technology must be shaped by the full complexity of human experience, including those who have the most to gain from getting it right.

Thank you to BlackSwan and the ACS for the platform and the partnership.

01/04/2026

Nansen is proud to have a Representative Member appointed to the Australian Computer Societies (ACS) Artificial Intelligence Ethics Committee.

This is more than a seat at the table. It's an opportunity to drive real change.

AI is reshaping every dimension of modern life. But it is not doing so equally.

At Nansen, we see what happens when AI is built without the full picture. Systems that were designed to help that instead exclude, isolate, and compound disadvantage. Algorithms that reflect the biases of those who built them. Tools that work beautifully for some, and actively harm others. Not through malice, but through blind spots baked in from the start.

The people most excluded from the design of AI are often the people most affected by it. Those experiencing vulnerability, marginalisation, poverty, disability, cultural and linguistic diversity, or social isolation don't just miss out on AI's benefits. They bear the cost of its failures.

And those failures are not glitches. They are design choices.

When facial recognition misidentifies. When risk scoring tools penalise postcodes. When mental health chatbots aren't built for crisis. When language models don't understand cultural context. These are not edge cases. They are systemic.

ACS is taking a nationally significant lead in ensuring AI is ethical, accountable and genuinely inclusive. Nansen's frontline experience across complex social challenges means we understand the multidimensional ways AI can uplift and the very real ways it can cause harm when inclusion is an afterthought.

Safe AI isn't just about security. It's about who gets left out.

10/03/2026

🌍 Today marked the opening of CSW70 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York — the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, and the UN's largest annual forum on gender equality and women's rights.

This year's theme, Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls, has never felt more timely. The opening session in the General Assembly Hall brought together some of the most compelling and urgent voices on the global stage.

UN Secretary General António Guterres spoke powerfully about the accelerating erosion of women's rights around the world, a reminder that progress is never permanent and must be actively defended.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai reflected on the 15 years since she first addressed the United Nations, acknowledging how much has changed and issuing an urgent call to action. Her presence in that hall is a reminder of what courage in the face of injustice actually looks like.

Actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hathaway spoke with real emotion about the erosion of rights and the unsettling reality that truths we believed were settled foundations are now on shaky ground. It was a deeply honest and important intervention.

Tomorrow we look forward to sessions focused on technology-facilitated abuse and what is happening to women and girls across the world in this space. It is a conversation that is long overdue.

The stakes could not be higher. The conversations happening this week matter enormously.

10/02/2026

Rose MacDonald and I are honoured to be panellists at a luncheon marking International Women's Day 2026.

The official IWD 2026 theme, Balance the Scales, is more than a message. It's a promise, that every woman and girl deserves to be safe, heard, and free to shape her own future. That together, we have the power to dismantle discriminatory systems and deliver justice, safety, and dignity for all.

Rose and I will be joining the extraordinary Genevieve Jacobs AM, CEO of Hands Across Canberra, on the panel to explore what that promise looks like in practice.

For us, it's deeply personal, our work building ACORN, a digital safety platform for those experiencing family violence, exists precisely because the scales have been unbalanced for too long. We're proud to be launching ACORN globally in New York in March 2026 in partnership with UN Women.

And we're incredibly fortunate to be hosted by Gladys Berejiklian, Managing Director Enterprise and Business at Optus and former Premier of New South Wales, who will share her leadership journey in what promises to be a candid and inspiring fireside chat.

You can purchase tickets at:

02/02/2026

We are excited to share that the Research Centre for Intelligent Computing and Systems (CICS) has officially been established at the University of Canberra!

CICS leads cutting-edge research in intelligent systems, AI, robotics, and digital transformation. We are so amazingly proud of the work we are doing together to protect women experiencing technology facilitated abuse.

A huge thank you to Dr Rosetta Romano and Blooma John for their incredible support. Your dedication and leadership have been instrumental in establishing the University of Canberra - Nansen partnership we are looking forward to the amazing journey to come!

Looking forward to the exciting developments ahead in 2025!

07/12/2025

Nansen had the privilege of participating in the Australasian Conference on Information Systems 2025, an event that brought together some of the foremost minds in information technology from around the world.

We were invited by Deakin University and the University of Canberra to join an expert panel examining emerging threats in the technology abuse landscape.

Our discussion explored how perpetrators behaviours and tool sets are evolving at speed, the growing complexity facing frontline responders, and the urgent need for advanced detection and prevention capabilities.

The University of Canberra and Deakin University remain at the forefront globally in understanding technology facilitated abuse. Their research programs and cross sector partnerships continue to shape the evidence base and drive innovation that supports victim survivors and strengthens national capability.

It was an honour for Nansen to contribute our practical insights from the domestic and family violence sector and to share our work in developing advanced tools and forensic methods to detect and disrupt technology abuse.

Thank you to everyone who reached out after the session to connect, share perspectives and explore future collaboration. The depth of international engagement underscores the scale of this issue and the importance of working together.

07/12/2025

We are proud to share that Nansen has won the Technology for Good Award.

This recognition means a great deal to our team because it came through a nomination from someone we supported in detecting and managing technology facilitated abuse in the domestic and family violence sector. Knowing that our work helped improve their safety and confidence is the greatest acknowledgement we could hope for.

Technology is increasingly used in ways that place women and children at risk. Our mission at Nansen is to respond to this challenge through advanced tools, forensic services and national capability uplift that help people regain control and security in their digital lives.

Thank you to the frontline agencies, partners and supporters who stand with us every day. And a heartfelt thank you to the person who put our name forward. Your courage is the reason we do this work.

We will continue to innovate and advocate for a safer digital future for all.

03/12/2025

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender based Violence, we’re bringing parents, carers, educators, and community advocates together to explore one of the most urgent issues facing young people today: technology-facilitated abuse.

Even with strengthened online safety laws in Australia, including enhanced age-verification, stronger platform duties of care, and improved content moderation; young people aged 10–16 remain exposed to evolving digital risks.

This session will unpack:
🔹 How new technologies are enabling emerging forms of abuse
🔹 What risks young people are most likely to face
🔹 Practical steps parents can take for prevention, monitoring, and early intervention
🔹 How to have informed, compassionate conversations with children about online safety

Parents play a pivotal role in building a safer digital world for our kids. This event is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to do exactly that.

Please consider donating to UN Women Australia to support their critical work empowering and protecting women and girls. There is a link on the booking page.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/emerging-digital-safety-risks-for-young-people-tickets-1976429209971?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Join us online to explore emerging tech-facilitated abuse risks facing young people and learn practical ways parents can help keep them safe

30/11/2025

This article on smart car weaponisation reflects what we observe consistently at Nansen and Once Blue. Technology-facilitated abuse is not an emerging issue. It is a persistent and evolving reality.

Connected vehicles represent one tool among many that perpetrators deploy. From geofencing kill switches to remote monitoring, smart cars join a complex and expanding toolkit that includes compromised phones, hacked devices, and connected home systems. Each tool serves the same purpose: control, surveillance, and isolation.

The challenge for frontline workers and service providers is that this toolkit evolves constantly. What matters is recognising the pattern beneath the technology. Whether it's a car that won't start, a fridge that locks, or a doorbell that streams footage, the underlying dynamics remain consistent.

Understanding these tactics is essential for safety planning and supporting survivors to independence. At Nansen and Once Blue, we work with frontline workers and survivors to identify and respond to these patterns in all their forms.

If you are experiencing technology-facilitated abuse or supporting someone who is, contact Nansen or Once Blue for specialist support and guidance.

Abusers are remotely accessing cars to track their partners’ movements, lock them out of a vehicle, and stop the cars from travelling outside a perimeter.

29/11/2025

We want to thank The Age and journalist Wendy Tuohy for a compassionate story that highlights the many ways women are monitored and controlled through technology. The article features the work of Nansen and our partnership with Once Blue. It reflects what we see every week. Technology facilitated abuse rarely involves one device. It is a web of compromised accounts, malicious settings, hidden access points, and the misuse of everyday tools that allow a perpetrator to watch, listen or interfere without being seen.

Our partnership with Once Blue brings together two distinct strengths. Their focus is real world safety and the home environment. Ours is digital forensics, online risk and the complexities of cloud platforms, social media accounts and device ecosystems. Together we support women in a way that is safe, practical and trauma informed. It avoids the one size fits all models that can miss critical threats. Instead, it ensures that every woman receives support shaped to her situation and her needs.

The story also touches on a milestone for us. In March we will release ACORN, a world first detection and prevention toolkit designed over five years in Canberra. ACORN helps uncover hidden digital abuse, identify compromised accounts, highlight unsafe configurations and support reliable evidence capture.

Thank you to Wendy Tuohy and The Age for bringing attention to this issue and for recognising the people working across Australia to keep women and families safe.

Andy

Links to the article

https://www.theage.com.au/national/perpetrators-are-using-vacuums-and-photo-frames-to-spy-on-women-connie-and-other-ex-policewomen-are-fighting-back-20251127-p5nizy.html

Perpetrators of domestic violence often want their victims to know they are being watched, but never know how.

28/11/2025

A huge thank you to Stephen Cenatiempo for having me on his morning show on 2CC to chat about the Snow Entrepreneurs program and Nansen.

I'll admit my first answer came with a healthy dose of stuttering, but Stephen's questions were so thoughtful and insightful that the rest of the conversation flowed beautifully. It's amazing what good listening can do!

We talked about what the Snow Entrepreneurs program means for Nansen. But here's the thing, it goes far beyond investment. The Snow Foundation has built something special, a genuine ecosystem designed to support entrepreneurs on their journey. They connect the dots between expertise, experience, and opportunity in a way that is unique.

Rose and I have built careers spanning multiple disciplines, but we've never launched a global SaaS solution, and marketing certainly isn't our superpower. That's where Snow comes in. They fill the gaps we have, provide the guidance and support we need, and connect us with other founders who've been exactly where we are. That network of peers who truly understand the challenges. It's invaluable.

But the real highlight for me has been the people. The other 10 entrepreneurs in this cohort are exceptional, genuinely talented, collaborative, and generous with their experience and insights. Being surrounded by founders who are all pushing hard but lifting each other up makes the hard days feel less lonely and the wins feel sweeter.

We are incredibly excited for what's ahead. A big thank you to Stephen and 2CC, and to the Snow Foundation for believing in us.