S21 Global Alliance Database
The world’s largest and most trusted CSAM intelligence database
With over 3 billion law enforcement-contributed records – growing daily through global collaboration, managed with transparency, accuracy, and integrity.
Over 3 billion law enforcement-contributed records — working together to protect victims
Reduce manual categorisation and duplication with trusted intelligence
Help safeguard more victims through global collaboration
Identify trends and patterns to disrupt organised criminal networks
Join a global community dedicated to removing CSAM safely and ethically
Instant access to trusted victim identification and categorisation intelligence
No development, maintenance or support fees – fully funded by Semantics 21 to support global collaboration.
The project is contribution-led and governed by clear data-sharing controls. Contributing organisations decide what data they provide, with full accountability for content shared.
Investigators gain access to unique file hashes, category labels and, where available, supporting notes and contributor information. All data is shared responsibly to help safeguard victims and reduce duplication in investigations.
The S21 GAD is not only the world’s largest — it is also the most secure. It is the only GDPR-compliant Digital Forensics database in Europe, backed by full transparency and robust data governance.
Control & Contribution
The S21 GAD is free to join — all we ask is that you contribute intelligence so the entire community can benefit.
Use of the S21 GAD is optional — our tools function fully with or without it.
- You decide what non-identifiable data to contribute, with the option to limit to as little as hashes and categorisation.
No sensitive data (like file names, paths, or MAC addresses) is accepted.
You can use a pseudonym for your organisation if preferred.
Security & Privacy
All contributed data is encrypted — including merged data — and is never decrypted or accessed by Semantics 21.
No data is used for AI training or commercial purposes.
The S21 GAD is offline. It does not use the internet to connect.
The database is time-locked and becomes unusable after a defined period.
We are GDPR-compliant, meeting the highest privacy standards.
Access & Use
Only law enforcement and approved related organisations can access the S21 GAD.
We do not sell or share access to your data — it is only used to support investigations.
Contributed data is never used for AI, analytics or any purpose beyond supporting CSAM, law enforcement and legal investigations.
Data is accessible only through approved S21 tools — never leaked online.
Process & Governance
The S21 GAD has a transparent, vetted, and contracted sign-up process. It’s not possible to ‘accidentally’ sign up or upload.
Exports contain text intelligence only — no images, videos, or media.
Uploads are periodic (e.g. every 3 months) — not every case.
S21 GAD works alongside other databases — no need to choose or switch.
Upload schedules and shared data are fully controlled by each contributor.
S21 Global Alliance Database (GAD)
The world’s largest CSAM intelligence database
Containing over 3 BILLION records contributed by global law enforcement, including notes, descriptions and classifications — all designed to reduce manual review and minimise CSAM exposure for investigators.
Alliance Database Hit Filters
Filter case media to instantly show only the files that have confirmed matches in the S21 Global Alliance Database. When connected, this feature streamlines review by focussing attention on verified hits, reducing noise and highlighting the most relevant evidence.
Intelligence Lookup
Search seamlessly across your connected databases for matches based on search criteria such as MD5 hash, region and more. Quickly uncover links between cases and datasets, helping you identify critical connections and strengthen your investigations.
How it works
1. The member organisation exports its S21 intelligence database
2. The file is encrypted and uploaded to a secure S21 repository
3. All uploaded data is merged into one encrypted master file while still encrypted
4. The latest encrypted S21 Global Alliance Database is issued to contributors
Secure and reliable by design
We continue to champion best practice and compliance when it comes to managing the Global Alliance Database.
All our solutions and services are totally secure and have been developed with GDPR and other relevant guidelines. It’s part of the reason we’re trusted by some of the most data-sensitive sectors, including policing, military, and online technology platforms.
How to access the S21 Global Alliance Database
S21 VisionX / S21 Discovery users
FREE
Law enforcement
Commercial forensic providers
NGO's and charities
Third Party Access
Contact for connection
Commercial third party tools
NGO's and charities
Storage and social media platforms
Non-S21 investigators
See how the S21 Global Alliance Database is already helping investigators daily to safeguard children, and solve Major Crimes across the world
Contribute, connect, and make a difference — with transparency and integrity at every step.
Request a demo or sales information pack
Please complete the form with valid company or agency information, including a company or agency-issued email address. We will need to confirm your credentials before issuing a free trial licence.