BlackBag Technologies Announces Partnership With Semantics 21


BlackBag Technologies announces a new partnership with Semantics 21, a digital forensics software company specializing in reviewing, analyzing and grading images and videos. The partnership enables both BlackBag and Semantics 21 to deliver unrivaled investigation speed without sacrificing reliability or victim and suspect identification functionality.With this new partnership, the LASERi® Suite from Semantics 21 integrates with BlackBag’s BlackLight to empower law enforcement and associated agencies worldwide with boosted capacity and capability to combat the child sexual exploitation epidemic and to clear case backlogs.

“As a forward-thinking company, we are keen to work in partnership with like-minded companies that offer tools which complement ours. BlackBag is a perfect example,” says CEO and founder of Semantics 21, Dr. Liam Owens.

BlackBag co-founder and Chief Customer Officer, Ben Charnota, explains the partnership as a necessity. “Enabling the efficient investigation of digital data is critical in today’s digital world,” he says. When we discovered Semantics 21 technology, we immediately knew a partnership between the organizations would result in reducing the vast amounts of data facing investigators by enabling a more efficient exam of images and videos seamlessly integrating into BlackLight. We are excited to partner with an organization who embraces our mission of revealing the truth in data to create a safer world.


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BlackBag and Semantics 21 partnering together ensures that investigators can deploy streamlined but flexible workflows. The collaboration helps implement efficient ways of exchanging evidence and intelligence between the tools. Investigators can rapidly and reliably analyze and categorize child sexual abuse material, even for large cases, and identify more victims or suspects than before.

Dr. Owens explains, “It is natural that we integrate evidential information extracted using our tools, with complementary information produced by tools from BlackBag. This synergy will enable users of products from both companies to leverage the unrivaled performance and capability offered the LASERi® Suite and BlackLight. As a result, the integration will strengthen the might of law enforcement and other agencies or corporations, in the fight against the sexual exploitation of children and other crimes where the evidence is carried by images and videos.”

The integration empowers investigators. Combining analysis and investigation outcomes from both the LASERi® Suite and BlackLight maximizes the strength and completeness of evidential facts gleaned from case material. Investigators will capitalize on lossless flow of information between the evidence acquisition and analysis tools offered by BlackBag and the image/video grading tools available in the LASERi® Suite. These tools, combined with an investigator’s own victim or suspect identification tools, will aid in the fight against child sexual exploitation.


To learn more about BlackLight, request a quote, request a trial, or renew your license, click here.

About BlackBag Technologies:

BlackBag® Technologies offers innovative forensic acquisition and analysis tools for both Windows and Mac OS X based computers, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. Its forensic software is used by hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies around the world, as well as by leading corporations and consultants, to investigate all types of digital evidence associated with criminal, civil and internal investigations. BlackBag® Technologies also develops and delivers expert forensics training and certification programs, designed for both novice and experienced forensics professionals. To learn more, visit www.blackbagtech.com.

About Semantics 21:

Semantics 21® produces state-of-the-art digital forensics software for reviewing, analyzing and grading images and videos. Its software is empowering law enforcement and associated agencies, across the world, with boosted capacity and capability to combat child sexual exploitation and aid in investigations of other criminal activities, such as organized crime. Its cutting-edge technology delivers unrivaled investigation speed without sacrificing reliability, and it offers superior victim or suspect identification functionality. The technology has won multiple excellence awards, including a highly coveted ‘Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2019’, and the ‘Science, Technology and Innovation Award (Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, 2018)’. To learn more, visit www.semantics21.com.

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A Practitioner Survey Exploring the Value of Forensic Tools, AI, Filtering, & Safer Presentation for Investigating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) - https://dfrws.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019_USA_paper-a_practitioner_survey_exploring_the_value_of_forensic_tools_ai_filtering_safer_presentation_for_investigating_child_sexual_abuse_material_csam.pdf

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In this episode of the Forensic Focus podcast, Si and Desi explore how artificial intelligence is being leveraged to uncover crucial evidence in investigations involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and examine the importance of exercising caution when implementing these tools.

They also discuss a recent murder case in which cyber experts played a vital role in securing a conviction, and explore the unique challenges associated with using digital evidence as an alibi.

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A Practitioner Survey Exploring the Value of Forensic Tools, AI, Filtering, & Safer Presentation for Investigating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) - https://dfrws.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019_USA_paper-a_practitioner_survey_exploring_the_value_of_forensic_tools_ai_filtering_safer_presentation_for_investigating_child_sexual_abuse_material_csam.pdf

Man charged with NI murder ‘faked live stream to provide alibi’ (The Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/02/man-charged-with-ni-faked-live-stream-to-provide-alibi

A YouTuber accused of murder faked a 6-hour livestream to produce an alibi (Sportskeeda) - https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/news-a-youtuber-accused-murder-faked-6-hour-livestream-produce-alibi

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