FOSI Celebrates Data Privacy Day

WASHINGTON, DC - January 28, 2013 - Continuing their mission to make the online world safer for kids and their families, the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) will be taking part in Data Privacy Day today to encourage a culture of digital responsibility around the world. Data Privacy Day is an effort to help Internet users understand and control their online experience and reputation.

A recent FOSI study highlighting the Online Generation Gap found that teens are already taking proactive steps to protect themselves; for example, of teens using social networking sites, 81 percent have privacy settings on their account. Despite what the media may tell us, teens are aware of online risks and are often taking safety into their own hands. However, differences do exist among perceptions of parents and teens about teens' online activities. The vast majority of parents (91 percent) say they are well informed about what their teens do online and on their cell phones. Teens, however, are much less likely to say their parents are well informed about their online activities. Three in five teens say their parents are very (21 percent) or somewhat (41 percent) well informed about what they do online.

"We hope that everyone gets involved with Data Privacy Day," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "If we all take the right measures to keep ourselves safe and be responsible when posting data on the Internet, the message will spread and support will grow around best data privacy practices. We should not only be aware of our online actions on January 28th, but continue to foster this positive behavior throughout the year and spread the word to others as well."

About the Family Online Safety Institute

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 is a trusted, international convener, bringing together leaders in government, industry and the nonprofit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions in child safety in a Web 2.0 world. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, BAE Systems Detica, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Mind Candy, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Nominum, Sprint, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, The Cyber Guardian, The Wireless Foundation, Trend Micro, Verizon and Yahoo!.

Through a recently launched initiative, A Platform for Good, FOSI has brought together parents, teens and teachers to use the power of the Internet and social media for good. A Platform for Good has tools for parents and teens to help them navigate the web and encourage a conversation to support responsible online behavior. PFG has practical tips to help teens manage their digital reputation and enable privacy settings, as well as a series of videos to Teach Parents Tech, including one on Digital Reputations and another on Privacy Settings.