Facebook to Chair FOSI Board

WASHINGTON - The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today announced that Richard Allan, Director of Policy, EMEA at Facebook, will become the next chair of the FOSI Board of Directors. FOSI, an international, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families, has collaborated with Facebook for several years to promote responsible Internet use and digital citizenship. Allan joined Facebook in 2009 when the company partnered with FOSI to create a global Safety Advisory Board.

"FOSI, along with our partners and our Board of Directors, convenes the brightest minds in industry, government and the nonprofit world to promote a culture of responsibility online," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "Our Board members play an important role in directing FOSI's advocacy and education efforts, and Richard will provide us with excellent direction and perspective. Facebook's ongoing commitment to FOSI is a great asset to everyone in the digital space and we are looking forward to Richard's leadership of the Board."

The FOSI Board will have a full slate of activities in 2012, as the organization looks forward to the September launch of A Platform for Good, an interactive online program empowering parents, teachers, teens and kids to connect and share knowledge and experiences around online safety while learning to become responsible digital citizens.

"Facebook is committed to promoting digital citizenship and working with FOSI enables us to further our efforts to make the Internet a safe, productive place," said Allan. "I am honored to support FOSI as Chair of its Board of Directors and look forward to exciting upcoming initiatives such as A Platform for Good, which will bring kids, parents and teachers together to highlight all of the great things that the Internet can do."

About FOSI

The Family Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety. Through research, resources, events and special projects, FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense of digital citizenship for all. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, BAE Systems Detica, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Nominum, Optenet, RuleSpace, Sprint, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, TELMEX, The Cyber Guardian, USTelecom, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and Yahoo!.