Dr. Tanya Byron to give Oxford Lecture for FOSI

London June 9, 2008 The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) is partnering with the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) at the University of Oxford to host a lecture by Dr. Tanya Byron and run the second in its international programme of roundtable discussions around her recent Review, Safer Children in a Digital World, the Report of the Byron Review.

The lecture, which will be held in Oxford on June 12, 2008, and entitled Beyond Byron — Towards a New Culture of Responsibility, will be a unique opportunity to hear Dr. Byron's reflections on the Review's reception and the implementation of the report's recommendations.

Comments from two respondents will underscore the extent of the Review's impact. Professor John Palfrey, Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, will draw on his experience in leading the US Internet Safety Technical Taskforce to highlight the global relevance of the Review, whilst insights into the Review's implications for industry partners and the significant initiatives already being undertaken will be offered by Annie Mullins, Global Head of Content Standards at Vodafone.

Using feedback from the lecture, FOSI and the OII will co-host a closed roundtable on Friday, June 13, 2008, entitled Educating Rita 2.0 - Effective Methods and Messages in Online Safety Education, which will offer an opportunity to delve deeper into the delivery of online safety education.

The roundtable will bring together participants from consumer groups, charities, government departments, trade bodies and other stakeholders to discuss the Review's recommendations with Dr. Byron. Participants will also be asked to explore what online safety education programmes are already in place, how successfully they are being delivered and how their impact is being measured from an international, as well as a European, perspective. A White Paper detailing the roundtable's key findings will be released in the summer.

Stephen Balkam, CEO at the Family Online Safety Institute, said: "Dr. Byron's report is the most comprehensive review of the internet and children to date. The lecture and roundtable that we're hosting with the OII promises to offer a fascinating insight into how we can tackle the problem of online safety with a combination of industry regulation and self-regulation, innovative technology and education, rather than a single silver bullet solution."

Dr. Victoria Nash, Policy & Research Officer at the OII, said: "Given all that the Internet has to offer by way of education, entertainment and social engagement it is really important that we find ways to ensure the safety of our children online. These two events are a great opportunity to bring together the wide range of stakeholders whose support and co-operation is vital if we're to develop a new culture of responsibility".

These events have been made possible through the kind support of Vodafone, Fox Interactive Media and OfCom.