Family Online Safety Institute Shortlisted in 2011 Nominet Internet Awards

LONDON and WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), an international nonprofit organization dedicated to online safety, has been shortlisted in the Nominet Internet Awards 2011, which highlight companies, charities and individuals in the United Kingdom who are making a difference on or through the Internet.

FOSI has been shortlisted in two award categories: Making the Internet Safer and Opening the World of Knowledge. The Making the Internet Safer Award is given to organizations that create innovative, collaborative responses to security threats, enable people to protect themselves online and educate Internet users about online personal safety. The Opening the World of Knowledge Award is given to organizations that use the Internet to educate others and promote online learning opportunities.

The Nominet Internet Awards aim to highlight organizations or individuals who have undertaken specific projects which raise Internet industry standards and showcase best practices. The nominees were reviewed by an independent panel of judges chaired by the Rt. Hon. Alun Michael MP, and included Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International, Dr. Vicki Nash at the Oxford Internet Institute and Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics. Award winners will be announced on July 28.

"These Awards recognize the enormous potential of the Internet to improve our lives and offer new opportunities to people around the world," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "In order to help people make the right online safety decisions, we have developed the Global Resource and Information Directory (GRID), a free online portal that collates, consolidates and tracks family online safety initiatives and programs around the globe. We're honored to join the other prestigious nominees in these categories and recognize that together, we can make the Internet a safer place for children and their families."

The Awards are run in partnership with the Nominet Trust, a body that supports initiatives contributing to a safe and accessible Internet. The Awards highlight projects which are making the Internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all. The winners will be showcased at the next Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting in Kenya as key examples of Internet innovation from the UK, while bringing together and improving the global online community. For the full list of shortlisted organizations, visit the Nominet Internet Awards website.

Lesley Cowley, CEO of Nominet said, "Each year we are impressed by the variety of ways the British businesses, charities and individuals continue to innovate to make the Internet a safe, accessible and helpful place for us all. The Internet has the power to have a positive impact on society and these shortlisted entries represent a small, shining proportion of the phenomenal work taking place in the UK."

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, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Nominum, Optenet, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telefónica, TELMEX, USTelecom, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and 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.

About the Internet Awards

The Nominet Internet Awards is an annual competition which is aimed at UK individuals and organizations who are helping to make the internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for everyone who uses it. These awards celebrate great UK internet projects by recognizing achievement and innovation. Building on the success of the past four years, we will recognize those organizations, groups and individuals who have embraced the challenge of making the internet a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience. Winners will be promoted in the UK and internationally as examples of best practice. Supporters of the Nominet Internet Awards include MPs, industry leaders, civil institutions, businesses, public sector and academia.

About Nominet

Nominet is a not-for-profit organization responsible for the smooth and secure running of the .uk Internet infrastructure. A public service ethos drives everything we do – we strive to make the Internet an ever more trusted space for everyone who uses it. As one of the world’s largest Internet registries, we maintain a ‘directory’ of domain names ending in.uk, and run the technology which locates the computer hosting the website or email address you are looking for. We set up and support the Nominet Trust, an independently run charity focused on increasing access, safety and education on Internet issues.