How Industry Can Use the Universal Classification Schema
15. Aug. 2025
For companies operating online platforms or developing safety technologies, the accurate classification of child sexual abuse material is a core part of trust and safety operations. Yet in the absence of a shared standard, companies often develop internal guidelines that may differ from those used by law enforcement, hotlines, or policymakers. The Universal Classification Schema offers industry a pathway to align internal processes with global standards, reduce risk, and improve responsiveness.
The Schema can be integrated into content moderation workflows, risk assessments, and AI training datasets. By mapping existing moderation categories or detection systems to Schema labels, platforms can ensure greater consistency when escalating CSAM reports to trusted flaggers, law enforcement, or national authorities. This alignment improves the clarity and accuracy of content review decisions, reduces false positives and escalation delays, and supports stronger cooperation across sectors.
For companies investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, the Schema provides a high-quality labelling system that can be used to annotate training datasets. This increases the effectiveness of detection models and enables more nuanced content categorisation, including for non-contact material or technology-facilitated abuse that may otherwise go unflagged.
The Schema also supports regulatory compliance. Under the EU Digital Services Act and similar frameworks, companies must produce transparency reports, carry out risk assessments, and demonstrate robust mitigation measures. The Schema supports these efforts by offering a standardised set of categories that can be used in reporting, internal documentation, and coordination with trusted flaggers and regulators.
By adopting the Schema, industry partners gain more than just a classification tool. They join a global community working toward a safer internet, where child protection is guided by consistent standards, clear language, and shared responsibility.