Family Online Safety Institute, Industry Leaders to Discuss the State of Internet Safety at Annual Conference

Washington, D.C. (Dec. 6, 2007) - As the number of children accessing the Internet increases, so, too, does the likelihood that these youth will be exposed to inappropriate Web sites or encounter dangerous situations online. Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) wants to make sure children's Internet experiences are safe. With this in mind, FOSI is holding its Annual Conference and Exhibition on Dec. 6, 2007, at Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The Conference will bring together industry leaders, legislators, non-profit groups and media dedicated to creating a safer online environment for children. This year's one-day event focuses on "Rights and Responsibilities: Child Protection in the Web 2.0 World."

"With 94 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 consistently online, we want to be certain that Web sites deemed inappropriate cannot be accessed by children," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "The Conference is a tremendous way to help educate and bring awareness to the leadership organizations and others influencing our society about online safety. Our mission with this Conference is to bring together the top thought leaders in the field of Internet safety to discuss the challenges and collaborate on solutions to keeping children safe while online."

The Conference will be composed of panels, roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, exhibits and several presentations. Key speakers and moderators include Google's Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf, U.S. Ambassador David Gross, Commissioner Deborah Tate of the Federal Communications Commission and Chairman Majoras of the Federal Trade Commission, along with many others. The exhibition will showcase the latest technologies and solutions being offered in the field of online safety. In addition, FOSI will be releasing its annual State of Online Safety Report, which is a performance review of online safety around the world.

Sponsors for the Conference include Verizon, AT&T, GSMA, RuleSpace, Crisp Thinking, Symantec, Google, Blue Coat, Comcast, CTIA, Microsoft, CompTIA, AOL and InternetSafety.com. The conference is being held in association with The Aspen Institute.