Combating Online Abuse with Emerging Technology
- Lauren Rutter
- Oct 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2025
In an era where online abuse and cyberbullying have become pervasive issues, SixPivot helped Founder Shane Britten bring to life a groundbreaking idea. Social Protect, an AI-powered platform, is transforming online safety by automatically detecting and removing harmful content from social media in real-time.
“We created Social Protect to ensure all social media users can protect themselves and their followers from abusive comments and have on-demand access to our education resources. SocialProtect keeps full control in the hands of social media account owners – there is no need to share your passwords or credentials with it, it can’t post as you or read your DMs, it just keeps you free from abuse.”
Shane Britten, Founder, Social Protect
A growing challenge
The digital age brought unprecedented connectivity, but it’s also given rise to new forms of harassment and abuse.
Research has shown that celebrities and public figures are disproportionately targeted for online abuse, with some studies suggesting that up to 80% of public figures have experienced some form of online harassment. A survey by the Cyberbullying Research Center found that about 37% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online.
Traditional moderation methods often fall short, leaving users exposed to harmful content for extended periods.
Experts in emerging technology
SixPivot embarked on the development of Social Protect through its JumpSpiders innovation centre. Reinforcing its ongoing commitment to creating solutions that are both technologically advanced and socially responsible.
Key features of Social Protect include:
Real-time content analysis and removal
AI-powered understanding of context and intent
Recognises more than 100 languages
Multi-platform integration (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Discord)
User privacy protection
AI-driven Education Hub for online safety guidance
The development process
SixPivot worked closely with the Social Protect team to understand the specific challenges of combating online abuse The development process involved integrating advanced machine learning models for context-aware content analysis, building a system capable of adapting to new forms of abusive language, implementing robust security measures to protect user privacy, creating an Education Hub powered by OpenAI on Azure, and designing a scalable architecture on AWS for performance and reliability.
Positive impact on global sports
The impact of Social Protect has been significant and immediate:
Across all clients during 2024, Social Protect removed 1.17 million abusive or hateful comments. In the first half of 2025, Social Protect has removed almost 4 million abusive or hateful comments
Throughout the 2025 season, Social Protect removed 350,000+ comments from the WNBA league and club social media channels
In a trial with Rugby Australia, Social Protect removed 1,500 hateful comments from the Rugby Australia Facebook page, including those that were later referred to law enforcement. As a result, Rugby Australia announced a landmark deal to provide the Social Protect solution for the whole of rugby in Australia, down to grassroots teams
International recognition
Social Protect's impact and innovation have gained international recognition, with founder Shane Britten winning the Technological Innovation Award at the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) 2025 awards ceremony held in London. This prestigious award recognises technological innovations designed to support the protection of children from exploitation online.
"Social Protect has emerged as a groundbreaking solution that not only meets but exceeds the standards for excellence in safeguarding digital spaces. It is one of the only platforms of its kind that does not use scraping and legally connects with APIs from social media platforms such as X, TikTok and Meta."
Spokesperson for The IPPPRI
This recognition from the international law enforcement and public protection community further validates Social Protect's significant contribution to online safety and child protection.
Australian Recognition
Further to Social Protect's international acclaim, the platform's success on home soil has been equally remarkable. In 2024, Social Protect and SixPivot placed 6th in the highly competitive AFR Innovation Awards, selected from hundreds of Australian technology companies. The platform also won a Tech Partner News Impact Award in August 2025, specifically recognising technology solutions that create meaningful social or environmental impact. In November 2025, Social Protect was named ACT state finalist in the Building Communities category at the Telstra Business Awards, one of Australia's most prestigious business recognition programs, and went on to become the national winner of the category.
Founder Shane Britten was also included in The Australian's Top Innovators 2025 list, cementing Social Protect's position as a leading Australian innovation addressing one of the digital age's most pressing challenges. These national accolades validate what the platform's users already know: Social Protect is transforming how Australians can safely participate in online communities, from grassroots sports clubs to national public figures, by putting control back in the hands of social media users while holding abusers accountable.
Lasting change
Social Protect represents a significant leap forward in the fight against online abuse. By harnessing the power of AI and cloud computing, SixPivot has helped create an application that addresses a critical societal issue and harnesses the power of emerging technology to create positive change.
The success of Social Protect underscores SixPivot's unique value proposition in the tech industry. Their ability to blend technical acumen with social responsibility, coupled with their innovative JumpSpiders program and now 6X Ventures, positions them as a leader in developing solutions that are both cutting-edge and deeply impactful.
As online interactions continue to shape our daily lives, platforms like Social Protect will play an increasingly crucial role in ensuring a safer, more inclusive digital world for all.
