FOSI 2026 European Forum

Please note: Additional speakers and program details will be announced as we near the event.

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM: Registration & Light Breakfast

9:50 AM – 10:05 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Karen Massin, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google
• Eric Ebenstein, Senior Director of Public Policy, TikTok and FOSI Board Chair
• Stephen Balkam, Founder & CEO, FOSI

10:05 AM – 10:15 AM: Coffee Chat with OpenAI

• Lauren Jonas, OpenAI
• Stephen Balkam, FOSI

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM: Regulation in Motion: Navigating Online Safety Policy Across Europe

This panel of European regulators and policy makers will share the latest on online safety policies being implemented across Europe, including the DSA, AI Act, Age verification “mini wallet” pilot efforts, enforcement efforts, and more.

• Moderator: Jonny Shipp, Independent Consultant, Jonathan E. Shipp SRL
• Jeremy Bonan, Deputy Director for Online Platforms, Arcom
• Bernardo Herman, Member of the Council, Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT)
• Anna Lucas, Online Safety Supervision Director, Ofcom
• Lisa Robinson, OECD

11:15 AM – 11:35 AM: Fireside Chat: Innovating to Help Keep Kids Safe

Apple has innovated some of the most powerful tools in the world for keeping kids safe online and parents in control. In this talk, Apple’s Ruben Van Der Dussen will join FOSI CEO Stephen Balkam to discuss Apple’s latest features, and how the company is working to make it easier than ever for parents to set guardrails that enable great, safe experiences for kids and teens.

• Stephen Balkam, FOSI
• Ruben van der Dussen, Apple

11:35 AM – 11:55 AM: Youth Voices

Teens from Belgium’s Child Focus organization will provide youth perspectives on online safety, including the importance of including young people in discussions and decisions that concern them, problematic content that young people encounter on social media, and sexual identity construction on the internet.

11:55 AM – 12:25 PM: Fireside Chat, Ian Russell

This conversation between Stephen Balkam and Ian Russell, chair of the Molly Rose Foundation, will focus on Ian’s work to end preventable harm online following the death of his daughter in 2017.

• Stephen Balkam, FOSI
• Ian Russell, Molly Rose Foundation

12:25 PM – 1:30 PM: Networking Lunch

1:30 PM – 1:40 PM: Lightning Talk

A representative from the United Kingdom’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will provide an update on the UK’s National Consultation on social media and children’s online experiences, which closed on May 26.

• William Jones, Deputy Director for Security and Online Harms Strategy and Analysis,  Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (UK)

1:40 PM – 2:00 PM: Fireside Chat

In this fireside chat, Eric Ebenstein, Senior Director of Public Policy, TikTok, and FOSI Board Chair, sits down with Tende, a member of TikTok’s Global Youth Council, to explore what online safety looks and feels like from a teen’s perspective. The conversation moves beyond platform policy and will centre on the lived experience of young people.

• Eric Ebenstein, Senior Director of Public Policy, TikTok and FOSI Board Chair
• Tende Amery, Global Youth Council Member, TikTok

2:00 PM – 2:55 PM: Rights, Risks, and Research: What the Evidence Tells Us About Children in the Digital Age

This panel of academics and civil society representatives will focus on the latest research on children’s digital well-being and explore how today’s technology policies are impacting children’s rights.

• Moderator: Sarah Bean, Director, Research & Programs FOS
• Jeffrey DeMarco, Senior Technical Advisor, Protecting Children from Digital Harm, Save the Children
• Maxime Le Bourgeois, everyoneAI
• Karen McAuley, Director of Policy, Children and Vulnerable Adults, Coimisiún na Meán
• Emilio Puccio, Secretary General of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights
• Seaneen Sloan, Co-Director, Associate Professor, Growing Up in Digital Europe Research Infrastructure/University College Dublin

2:55 PM – 3:25: Tea Break

3:25 PM – 3:45 PM: Safety by Design, Not Exclusion: A Collaborative Blueprint for the Next Digital Decade

This panel will explore practical, feature-based approaches to regulating children’s online experiences, emphasizing how safety-by-design principles can protect young users without shutting them out of the digital world.

• Cecilia Zappalà, Head of EU Government Affairs and Public Policy, YouTube
• Kaylin Peete, Program Specialist, FOSI

3:45 PM – 4:25 PM: It Takes A Village: Supporting Parents and Kids in a Connected World

FOSI’s research shows that families believe parents should play a significant role in teaching about online safety. This panel, featuring industry experts and civil society representatives, will focus on how platforms can help parents in this essential role and navigate the online world with confidence.

• Moderator: Charlotte Aynsley, Policy Consultant, FOSI
• Tami Bhaumik, VP, Civility & Partnerships, Roblox
• Tim Levy, Managing Director, Qoria
• Catherine Teitelbaum, Head of Family Trust, Amazon

4:25 PM – 4:45 PM Fireside Chat: The Next Frontier of Safety in Gaming

Candela Montero from Epic Games and Dirk Bosmans from PEGI will discuss the next generation of safety in gaming from innovative safety products and features, content moderation evolution and PEGI’s new classification framework.

• Candela Montero, Vice President of Trust, Safety and Support, Epic Games
• Dirk Bosmans, Director General, PEGI

4:45 PM – 5:00 PM: Closing Remarks

• Stephen Balkam, Founder & CEO, FOSI

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Reception