Facebook 'Friends' FOSI

Washington DC – December 7, 2009 - The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), a leading international nonprofit group dedicated to protecting kids on the Internet, today announced that social network giant, Facebook, will join the organization. Richard Allan, director of European public policy, will serve as the Facebook representative on the FOSI Board of Directors.

“FOSI is very pleased that Facebook will be joining our organization to further promote the best rules, tools and educational programs in schools to keep the Internet safe for family members of all ages,” said FOSI CEO, Stephen Balkam. “Facebook has had a profound impact on the development of the web and the way kids communicate online and this membership will allow us to work together to promote digital citizenship and responsible online use.”

“The safety of our users is of the utmost importance to us and we’re committed to working with public and private experts make our site as safe as possible. That’s why we’re excited to be joining FOSI, one of the most trusted and well-respected online safety organizations in the world,” said Richard Allan, Facebook Director of European Public Policy. “Our users will benefit from the wealth of educational materials, tools, and resources FOSI offers their members and FOSI possesses a unique international perspective that is incredibly valuable. We look forward to working with FOSI to make the Internet safer for everyone.”

Additionally, FOSI has been chosen to serve on the new Facebook Advisory Board that has been created to review the existing safety resources Facebook provides its users, assess new materials it creates, contribute safety articles to the Facebook Blog and advise on general best practices on an ongoing basis. The board will help revamp the online safety information in the Facebook’s Help Center, with the goal of creating specific educational resources for parents, teachers, and teens. Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafety and Childnet International will also serve on the board.

For more information on FOSI, visit www.fosi.org, the FOSI YouTube Channel, Facebook and Twitter.

About FOSI

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods that also respect free speech. FOSI’s members include: AOL, AT&T, Blue Coat Systems, BT Retail, Comcast, CompTIA, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Kingston Communications, Loopt, Microsoft, MySpace, NCTA, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, Privo, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Telefónica, TELMEX, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon, Yahoo. FOSI hosts an annual international conference to bring together Internet safety advocates from a variety of sectors, including global corporations, government, non-profits, academia and the media, to discuss the current pulse of online safety and emerging solutions that will enhance it. For more information, please visit www.fosi.org.

About Facebook

Founded in February 2004, Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. Anyone can sign up for Facebook and interact with the people they know in a trusted environment. Facebook is a privately held company and is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif.