AFK’s flagship prevention framework addressing the intersection between technology, exploitation, coercion, safeguarding, and community safety. Unsafe by Design examines how digital systems, platforms, and emerging technologies can unintentionally amplify vulnerability when safety, human wellbeing, and child protection are not considered early in the design process. The initiative connects global advocacy with practical local prevention through education, systems advocacy, safeguarding awareness, and community engagement.

Alt-TAB is AFK’s upstream prevention framework designed to encourage earlier consideration of safeguarding, vulnerable users, human rights, coercion risks, accessibility, and ethical technology before systems or digital processes are deployed. Developed through the Unsafe by Design initiative, Alt-TAB helps organisations, educators, community groups, and innovators think critically about potential harms before they escalate into exploitation, exclusion, victimisation, or emotional distress.

AFK is facilitating a consultation connected to Women Deliver 2026 focused on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), digital safety, and prevention-focused responses to online harm. The consultation creates space for lived experience, community insight, and cross-sector collaboration to help inform safer digital futures for women and girls while strengthening awareness of emerging forms of online exploitation, coercion, and abuse.

AFK contributes to broader conversations around ethical technology, safeguarding, and prevention-focused systems development through participation in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards-related activities. AFK Founder Sarah Barnbrook serves as Co Vice-Chair for the IEEE Industry Connections Activity: User-Centered Principles for Artificial Intelligence Used in Evaluating Family Violence. This work explores how AI systems can better reflect trauma-informed, human-centred, and safeguarding-focused approaches in high-risk contexts.

AFK delivers trauma-informed school workshops designed to strengthen digital literacy, safeguarding awareness, emotional resilience, and safer online participation for children and young people. Workshops help students recognise harmful online behaviours earlier, including grooming, manipulation, scams, coercive digital dynamics, and unsafe online environments, while encouraging healthier relationships with technology and stronger real-world social connection.

AFK provides prevention-focused education supporting children, carers, educators, and communities to better understand emerging digital risks and strengthen safeguarding practices. This work focuses on early recognition of exploitation, coercive control, online manipulation, unsafe digital behaviours, and emotional impacts linked to technology-facilitated harm, helping communities build safer and more informed responses before harm escalates.

AFK raises awareness of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including online abuse, coercive control, image-based abuse, stalking, harassment, manipulation, and AI-enabled exploitation. Through education, advocacy, and public engagement, AFK works to strengthen recognition of TFGBV as a serious safeguarding and community safety issue requiring trauma-informed, prevention-focused responses.

AFK advocates for ethical, accountable, and human-centred approaches to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. This work promotes stronger safeguards, transparency, Safety by Design principles, child protection considerations, and human rights-focused governance approaches that prioritise prevention before harm occurs. AFK contributes to discussions connected to ethical AI, online safety, digital wellbeing, and emerging technology risks at both national and international levels.

AFK works directly with communities to strengthen awareness, resilience, safeguarding capability, and safer participation in digital environments. Through workshops, advocacy, consultations, events, and collaborative engagement, AFK helps communities better understand online exploitation, coercive behaviours, scams, manipulation, emotional impacts of technology, and emerging digital harms while promoting relational safety, belonging, and prevention-focused support networks.

 AFK believes digital safety is a child safety, community safety, and prevention issue.