Craig Newmark backs Global Signal Exchange anti-fraud push

The Global Signal Exchange has secured financial backing from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark as it expands a shared intelligence platform designed to curb online scams, fraud and abuse across multiple industries.

Newmark, a long-standing supporter of online safety initiatives, will fund the non-profit as it scales its operations and broadens access to its data-sharing network. The move comes amid rising concern over the growth of cybercrime and the challenges of coordinated responses across borders and sectors.

Global estimates put the annual cost of cybercrime at around USD $8 trillion. Law enforcement bodies and cybersecurity specialists frequently describe current responses as fragmented, with information on emerging threats often trapped in organisational or sector silos.

The Global Signal Exchange, known as GSE, runs a clearing house that aggregates and distributes "threat signals". These signals include data points such as URLs, domains, IP addresses and email details associated with suspected scams, frauds or other online abuse.

The organisation operates as a UK-based non-profit owned by Oxford Information Labs. It launched last year and has since built a membership base that includes major technology companies, financial institutions and infrastructure providers.

Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft are among dozens of global brands that now send and receive threat data through the platform. The GSE also reports engagement from governments, law enforcement agencies and policy specialists in multiple jurisdictions.

Rapid data growth

Since its launch, the GSE has expanded the volume of information it handles from 40 million to more than 700 million signals. The organisation describes these as individual pieces of intelligence about suspected malicious activity, shared in near real time among participating entities.

The GSE says that around 60% of the threat signals exchanged via its platform are "net new" to the recipient organisations. These are items that participating companies and agencies would not otherwise have seen through their own monitoring or bilateral information-sharing channels.

Newmark said his involvement reflects a long-standing focus on consumer protection and online trust. He founded Craigslist in the mid-1990s and has since become a prominent funder of initiatives that address digital harms and disinformation.

"Fighting online scams is personal to me. I've been doing it for more than 25 years. GSE is bringing people together to offer simple tools to keep us all safe online. I'm putting my money where my mouth is by funding these solutions and by encouraging everyone to get loud about the seriousness of the threat," said Craig Newmark, craigslist founder.

The new funding will focus on widening access to the GSE for organisations that cybercriminals frequently target but which often operate with fewer resources or specialist staff.

Smaller operators

The GSE plans to extend its model to smaller domain registrars and hosting providers. It also intends to reach local advertising platforms and frontline law enforcement units that handle fraud reports from the public.

These types of organisations often play a role in either enabling or disrupting the infrastructure behind scams, such as fake websites or fraudulent online listings. Many report limited tools, data or specialist expertise in tracking and shutting down such activity at scale.

Newmark's support will also underpin work on the GSE's internal structure and processes. The organisation is developing an operating model that it expects to place on a sustainable financial footing by 2027.

Co-Founder Emily Taylor said the additional backing comes during a period of rising online fraud, as criminals exploit growing digital commerce and communications. She said no single organisation or country currently has a complete view of the problem.

"We're grateful for Craig's support at a moment when online fraud is escalating faster than any single organisation or country can respond. The GSE was built to connect the dots between sectors that rarely work together, and this support will help us extend those protections to the smaller organisations and high-risk communities who need it most. It's a strong vote of confidence in a model that is already delivering results for partners worldwide," said Taylor.

The GSE says its approach relies on real-time aggregation and distribution of incoming intelligence rather than isolated bilateral exchanges. The aim is earlier detection of emerging fraud patterns, faster action by those in a position to intervene and wider disruption of the infrastructure that underpins scams.

As membership grows, the organisation expects the volume and diversity of signals to increase further. It plans to deepen engagement with law enforcement, financial services providers and critical infrastructure operators over the next two years.