FOSI 2026 European Forum
Overview
Finding Common Ground
On June 9th, 2026, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted its European Forum at Google’s Brussels office, bringing together leaders from government, industry, academia, and civil society to explore one of the most important questions in online safety today: how do we protect children online while preserving the opportunities and benefits that technology provides?
Under the theme Finding Common Ground, the Forum focused on where policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, educators, and young people can work together to create safer online experiences. Discussions throughout the day examined evolving regulation, emerging research, youth perspectives, parental support, and safety by design.
The morning sessions explored how online safety policy is taking shape across Europe, with regulators discussing the Digital Services Act, AI Act, age assurance efforts, and broader debates around children’s online experiences. Attendees also heard from OpenAI and Apple, bringing industry perspectives to the conversation around family safety and digital wellbeing.
One of the most memorable moments of the day came from the youth representatives of Belgium’s Child Focus organization. Speaking candidly about problematic content, identity exploration, and the realities of growing up online, they reminded attendees why young people must be included in conversations that directly impact their digital lives.
The morning concluded with a powerful fireside conversation between Stephen Balkam and Ian Russell, Chair of the Molly Rose Foundation. Reflecting on the loss of his daughter Molly and his ongoing advocacy efforts, Ian challenged attendees to consider whether progress is happening quickly enough to address the risks facing young people online.
The afternoon focused on solutions. Following an update from the United Kingdom’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and a conversation with TikTok Global Youth Council member Tende Amery, experts examined the latest research on children’s digital wellbeing and the impact of technology policy on children’s rights.
During the Forum, Sarah Bean unveiled FOSI’s latest research, Australian Children’s and Parents’ Perceptions of the Recent Social Media Ban, which explored how attitudes toward Australia’s social media restrictions have evolved since implementation.
A recurring theme throughout the day was the importance of balancing protection with participation. Discussions on safety by design, parental support, and video game safety highlighted how thoughtful product design, age-appropriate safeguards, and collaboration across sectors can help create safer online experiences without excluding young people from the digital world.
Stephen Balkam closed the event by thanking speakers, attendees, and partners for their contributions to a day centered on collaboration, evidence, and shared responsibility. While perspectives differed, a common message emerged: protecting children online requires governments, industry, researchers, parents, and young people themselves to work together toward solutions that are both effective and empowering.
Event Highlights
- Discussions on the future of online safety policy across Europe, including the DSA, AI Act, and age assurance initiatives
- Youth perspectives from Child Focus and TikTok’s Global Youth Council
- Fireside conversations with OpenAI, Apple, Ian Russell, Epic Games, and PEGI
- Research launch: Australian Children’s and Parents’ Perceptions of the Recent Social Media Ban
- Sessions on children’s rights, digital wellbeing, safety by design, and parental support
Speakers
Tende Amery
Global Youth Council Member , TikTok
Charlotte Aynsley
Policy Consultant, Family Online Safety Institute
Stephen Balkam
Founder & CEO, Family Online Safety Institute
Sarah Bean
Director of Research & Programs, Family Online Safety Institute
Tami Bhaumik
VP, Civility & Partnerships, Roblox
Jeremy Bonan
Deputy Director for Online Platforms, Arcom
Dirk Bosmans
Director General, PEGI
Jeffrey DeMarco
Senior Technical Advisor, Protecting Children from Digital Harm, Save the Children
Eric Ebenstein
Senior Director of Public Policy, TikTok, FOSI Board Chair*
Will Gardner OBE
CEO, Childnet
Beatrijs Gelders
Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, COFACE
Arda Gerkens
President, ATKM
Bernardo Herman
Member of the Council, Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications
Mike Jackson
GM and Head of AI Governance, Legal, and Interim Chief Digital Safety Officer, Microsoft Corporation
Maxime Le Bourgeois
Cognitive Science Researcher, Everyone.AI
Tim Levy
Managing Director, Qoria
Anna Lucas
Online Safety Supervision Director, Ofcom
Karen McAuley
Director of Policy, Children and Vulnerable Adults, Coimisiún na Meán
Dr. Allison Fine Mishkin
Head of Child Development, OpenAI
Candela Montero
Vice President of Trust, Safety and Support, Epic Games
Lisa Robinson
Online Safety Policy Analyst in the Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate, OECD
Ian Russell, MBE
Chair, Molly Rose Foundation
Jonny Shipp
Independent Consultant, Jonathan E. Shipp SRL
Seaneen Sloan
Co-Director, Associate Professor, Growing Up In Digital Europe Research Infrastructure / University College Dublin
Catherine Teitelbaum
Head of Responsible AI (RAI) for Youth: Trust Policy & Strategic Partnerships, Devices & Services, Amazon
Agenda
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
- Dr. Allison Fine Mishkin, 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
- Arda Gerkens, President, ATKM
- 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
- Mike Jackson, GM and Head of AI Governance, Legal, and Interim Chief Digital Safety Officer, Microsoft Corporation
- Maxime Le Bourgeois, everyoneAI
- Karen McAuley, Director of Policy, Children and Vulnerable Adults, Coimisiún na Meán
- 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.
- Will Gardner, CEO, Childnet International
- Cecilia Zappalà, Head of EU Government Affairs and Public Policy, YouTube
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
- Beatrijs Gelders, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, COFACE
- Tim Levy, Managing Director, Qoria
- Catherine Teitelbaum, Head of Responsible AI (RAI) for Youth: Trust Policy & Strategic Partnerships, Devices & Services, Amazon
4:25 PM – 4:45 PM Fireside Chat: The Next Frontier of Safety in Video Games
Candela Montero from Epic Games and Dirk Bosmans from PEGI will discuss the next generation of safety in video games 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