Introducing DefenderNet:
Helping Servers and Communities Stay Safe Online
May 19, 2025
By Maria Tamellini, Co-Founder and COO, GamerSafer
GamerSafer is proud to announce DefenderNet, a new safety system designed to support Minecraft and Discord servers become safer and more welcoming, especially for young players. This system empowers moderators with tools to take action against harmful behavior and has a special focus on helping communities recognize and respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), one of the most serious and growing challenges of our time.
We’ve always believed that technology should be impact-driven, and that safety is the foundation of every thriving online community. Safety is more than a moral obligation — it’s essential to building healthy, engaged communities. According to recent research by Take This, lower toxicity in online spaces is directly linked to stronger player retention, longer play sessions, and increased in-game spending. When servers invest in trust and safety, they don’t just reduce harm — they create better environments for everyone.
DefenderNet is a step toward that vision, not just in theory, but in practice.
Why DefenderNet? Why Now?
Minecraft and Discord communities are places where creativity thrives, friendships grow, and players from all over the world come together. But as these communities and the world evolves, so do the challenges. These vibrant spaces also face serious risks: grooming, scams, harassment, and other forms of abuse are common — and they don’t stop at just one server.
Many moderators and server owners face serious challenges when it comes to keeping their communities safe. Existing tools are often fragmented, complex, or not designed for the reality of volunteer-led teams. Without shared systems, knowledge or cross-platform support, it’s easy for harmful users to evade bans by “server hopping” moving undetected between servers and continuing their behavior elsewhere.
DefenderNet was created to help change that. It equips staff and moderators from Minecraft and Discord servers with:
- Early detection of harmful behaviors
- Tools to block users who repeatedly cause harm across multiple servers and prevent re-entry under new identities
- Streamlined workflows for reporting, moderation, and appeals—helping to reduce burnout
Our goal is ambitious and clear: to make detecting, responding to, and reporting harmful content easier, faster, and more effective — so server teams can focus on what they do best: creating joyful, welcoming spaces for players.
What DefenderNet Offers
DefenderNet is a complete safety system to support moderation including:
- A Minecraft plugin with a built-in GUI for banning, flagging, and evidence tracking
- A Discord bot for in-platform reporting and moderation
- A centralized, structured database that connects actions and player history across communities
- Standardized reporting categories that improve clarity, consistency, and interoperability
Moderators gain real-time visibility into incidents and patterns of abuse — enabling faster, better-informed decisions. The system is adaptable for servers of all sizes, and thanks to support from Safe Online, DefenderNet is open source and free of charge.
When Innovation Meets Impact: Child Safety at the Center
DefenderNet was selected through a highly competitive process and developed with the backing of Safe Online — the only global investment vehicle dedicated to keeping children safe in the digital world.
Safe Online supports innovation and unites key actors to create digital spaces where children can explore, learn, and thrive — free from harm.
This mission has never been more urgent:
- In 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 36 million reports through its CyberTipline — the highest number ever recorded. This marked an increase from 32 million in 2022 and 29.3 million in 2021.
- INHOPE’s 2024 Annual Report revealed that 93% of verified OCSAM involved children under 13, and 96% of files contained confirmed abuse imagery or video.
- On average, it takes just 45 minutes for a child to be groomed in a social gaming environment—with extreme cases recorded in as little as 19 seconds, according to the latest WeProtect Global Threat Assessment.
These figures are more than statistics — they reflect the scale of harm taking place in digital environments. Online communities, particularly gaming servers and chat platforms are now frontline spaces in the fight against OCSEA.
While DefenderNet offers a comprehensive set of features to handle various online harms that take place in Minecraft and Discord servers, its core mission is to detect, measure, and support the reporting of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA).
Every feature — from real-time alerts to cross-server insights — was designed to help server teams act early and decisively when vulnerable users are at risk.
Together, GamerSafer and Safe Online, in collaboration with the communities we serve, are building a new model for digital safety — one rooted in action, transparency, and shared responsibility.
Join this Movement
Safety is the foundation of a thriving community. DefenderNet helps make it part of your server’s DNA — not as an afterthought. Whether you run a hobby Minecraft realm, a large Discord network, or a growing game community, you shouldn’t have to face such challenges alone.
Since launching our pilot just a few months ago, 75 Minecraft and Discord servers have already adopted DefenderNet. They’re using it to protect their players, simplify moderation, and share crucial safety data across platforms. More importantly, these communities are actively sharing feedback and helping us shape and strengthen this shared mission.
By joining, your community will:
- Access DefenderNet tools and insights for Minecraft and/or Discord, free of charge
- Receive training and support to strengthen community management and moderation practices
- Earn a trust & safety badge on FindMCServer (for eligible Minecraft servers)
- Contribute to a global effort to protect communities and players— especially children — from harm
While no single tool can solve these challenges alone, DefenderNet helps server teams strengthen their ability to detect and respond to OCSEA and other serious threats, making the broader ecosystem safer for everyone.
Ready to join the movement? Bring DefenderNet to your server. Learn more and start today.
Together, we have the power to transform online spaces into safer, more welcoming communities where everyone can thrive. DefenderNet is more than just a system; it’s a movement toward a better, safer digital gaming experience for everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us. By working hand in hand, server owners, moderators, players, and organizations, we can create an environment where harmful behavior is swiftly addressed, and trust and connection is strengthened.
Taking action is the best way to impact the gaming community
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