The Big Interview

‘We work in the sewers of the mind’ – Moonshot’s Ross Frenett on fighting threats online

Moonshot uses online tools to track and counter violent threats to society. Co-founder Ross Frenett believes that, with the right interventions, individuals who have veered towards extremism can be steered away from it

Ross Frenett, co-founder and co-chief executive of Moonshot: ‘Part of the pleasure arising from the work I do is knowing that despite everything, most people are thoroughly decent.’ Picture: Bryan Meade

For someone who spends most of his days dwelling in places most of us would really rather not go, Ross Frenett remains an extremely upbeat person.

“Our people are working in the sewers of the mind,” is how Frenett describes the work he and his team at Moonshot do.

“We’re having to deal with the worst things you can imagine, including child exploitation and abuse, and human trafficking, but even here there are sparks of ...