Family Online Safety Institute Launches New Website

WASHINGTON – The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today launched a new interactive, user-friendly website on www.fosi.org to further promote the mission of protecting kids online. The new website will be the place to gather information on Internet safety from thought leaders, industry, nonprofits and government to promote best practices and offer tools to families around the world.

The new website brings a wealth of new features including news updates, policy initiatives, parental resources, broadcasts and an exclusive login for FOSI members. It also showcases upcoming events including FOSI’s Annual Conference on December 11, 2008.

“Staying safe online is a difficult issue because kids are constantly two steps ahead with new technology and parents are two steps behind,” said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. “Our new website will serve as a forum where FOSI will gather and distribute information as quickly and as easily as kids do, to keep parents better informed. We will use this medium to provide tools, host videos and display news stories and information to aid families and other interested groups on how to keep kids safe online.”

About the Family Online Safety Institute

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safe 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, BT Retail, Cisco, Comcast, Computing Technology Industry Association, Crisp Thinking, France Telecom/Orange, Google, GSMA, Loopt, Microsoft, Mpower Media, MySpace, Ning, Privo, Rulespace, Sentinel, Telefónica, Telmex, The Wireless Foundation, and Verizon. 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.

The FOSI Annual Conference will be held in Washington, DC on December 11, 2008 at the Newseum.