Nov
19
FOSI 2026 Annual Conference: 20 Year Anniversary
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20004
FOSI 2025 Annual Conference
Overview
On November 10th, 2025, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted its Annual Conference, Online Safety in Tumultuous Times, at the InterContinental on the Wharf in Washington, DC. The event brought together leaders from government, industry, academia, and the nonprofit sector to address the rapidly evolving challenges and opportunities in digital safety.
The day began with opening remarks from Tami Bhaumik, Vice President of Civility & Partnerships at Roblox and Chair of FOSI’s Board of Directors, followed by a welcome from Stephen Balkam, FOSI’s Founder and CEO.
FOSI then launched its latest research, Generative AI in Uncertain Times: How Teens are Navigating a New Digital Frontier, which explored how young people are using, thinking about, and feeling toward generative AI. The session featured Gina Bell (InTandem) and Alanna Powers-O’Brien (FOSI), along with a youth speaker who participated in the study. An Experts React panel, moderated by Amanda Lenhart (Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop), expanded on the findings with insights from Dr. Sunny Xun Liu (Stanford Social Media Lab), Anne-Sophie Seret (everyone.ai), and Alanna Powers-O’Brien (FOSI).
The morning plenary continued with a conversation on the FTC’s role in online safety, featuring Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Cecilia Kang of The New York Times. This was followed by Education, Empowerment, and Enforcement: Thoughtful Online Safety Approaches, which brought together representatives from Snap, Thorn, and the DHS Cyber Crimes Center to discuss a whole-of-society approach to child protection.
Breakout sessions throughout the day tackled key topics including gaming safety, digital parenting, gender and online harm, chatbots and childhood, and state-level policy innovation. Experts from across the tech, research, and advocacy sectors shared data, best practices, and real-world insights to help families thrive online.
Entertainment Software Association kicked off the afternoon with a session on safety by design in the gaming industry, followed by Apple’s discussion on new and long-standing safety tools that empower parents while protecting children’s privacy.
A highlight of the day was the release of FOSI’s brand-new explainer video, “What’s the Deal with Age Assurance?”, which introduced a series of panels focused on the future of age assurance and its impact on children, families, and industry. Kate Charlet (Google) opened the segment with a dive into the challenges and opportunities of developing effective, privacy-minded age assurance solutions, followed by a broader discussion with experts from Ofcom, Future of Privacy Forum, and New America on the state of age assurance policy and practice in 2025.
The final sessions featured TikTok’s Corey Ponder in conversation with members of the TikTok Global Youth Counciland Praesidio Safeguarding on co-designing digital safety with youth, followed by Catherine Teitelbaum (Amazon) moderating Partnerships with Purpose, a discussion highlighting how collaboration across sectors can strengthen online safety and support families in the digital world.
Stephen Balkam closed the event with final remarks, thanking attendees, speakers, and sponsors for their participation and support throughout the day. He concluded by announcing that FOSI’s 20th Annual Conference will take place in 2026, marking a major milestone in the organization’s mission to make the online world safer for children and families.
Event Highlights:
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Research Launch: Generative AI in Uncertain Times: How Teens are Navigating a New Digital Frontier
- Explainer Release: What’s the Deal with Age Assurance?
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High-Level Conversations: Featuring FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Apple, TikTok, Google, Snap, and more
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Breakout Sessions: Covering AI, digital parenting, gender and online harm, and state-level policy
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Youth Engagement: A full youth-led breakout panel and participation from teen speakers and members of TikTok’s Global Youth Council
Full videos of all mainstage sessions are available on FOSI’s YouTube channel.
Stay tuned — we will be sharing photos from the event in the coming days. Thank you again for being part of this important conversation.
Speakers
Andrew Ferguson
Chairman, Federal Trade Commission
Cecilia Kang
National Technology Correspondent, The New York Times
Henry Adams
Director of Trust & Safety, Resolver
Javier Agüera
CEO & Co-founder, Pandora's Way
Alex Ambrose
Policy Analyst, ITIF
Charlotte Aynsley
Policy Consultant, Family Online Safety Institute / Charlotte Aynsley Digital Consultants
Stephen Balkam
Founder & CEO, Family Online Safety Institute
Jacqueline Beauchere, MBE
Global Head of Platform, Snap Inc.
Gina Bell
Youth Partner, InTandem
Tami Bhaumik
VP, Civility & Partnerships, Roblox, FOSI Board Chair*
Adrian Boafo
Delegate, State of Maryland
Rukiya Bonner
Director, CARU, BBB National Programs
Raja Bose
Senior Manager, System Experiences Product Marketing, Apple
Lillie Brown
Miss Illinois’ Teen, Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization
Kate Charlet
Director for Privacy, Safety, and Security, Google
Alissa Cooper
Executive Director, Knight-Georgetown Institute
Cailin Crockett
Global Advisor, SWGfL/StopNCII.org
Danielle A. Davis, Esq.
Director of Technology Policy, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Jeffrey DeMarco
Senior Technical Advisor - Protecting Children from Digital Harm, Save the Children
Sara DeWitt
Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS, PBS
Marissa Edmund
State Policy Lead, Family Online Safety Institute
Hannah Edwards
Head of Participation and Engagement, Praesidio Safegaurding
Emerie Godfrey
Sophmore, High School
Dr. Travis Hall
Director for State Engagement, Center for Democracy and Technology
Laura Higgins
Senior Director of Community Safety and Civility, Roblox
Dr. Javoris Hollingsworth
CEO/Co-Creator, Gracie's Corner
Rebecca Kern
Senior Correspondent, The Capitol Forum
Ami Kumar
CoFounder, Contrails.ai
Almudena Lara
Online Safety Policy Development Director, Ofcom
Kristelle Lavallee
Global Teen Wellbeing Policy Manager , Discord
Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey
CEO, Founder, Mother AI
Amanda Lenhart
Senior Fellow, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
Dr. Sunny Xun Liu
Director of Research, Stanford Social Media Lab
Marcelina Maciąg
TikTok's Global Youth Council, TikTok
Larry Magid
CEO, ConnectSafely
Colleen McClain
Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center
Mike McGrath
Special Adviser - Child Safety Online Taskforce, NSPCC
Maya A. McKenzie
Senior Counsel, Tech Policy, Entertainment Software Association
Kate Meyer
Instructional Innovation Specialist , Mt. Desert Island High School
Viktorija Millajeva
CEO, Qustodio by Qoria
Heather Morton
Director-Financial Services, Technology and Communications Program, National Conference of State Legislatures
Tiffany Munzer
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ambassdor for AAP Center for Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Nadine O.
Snapchat's Council For Digital Wellbeing Member , Snap, Inc.
Mike Pappas*
CEO, Modulate
Rebecca Parlakian
Senior Director of Programs, Zero to Three
Cristy Phillips
Special Counsel, Division of Economic Justice, Office of the New York State Attorney General
Jules Polonetsky
CEO, Future of Privacy Forum
Corey Ponder
Global Head of Policy and Product Partnerships, TikTok
Alanna Powers-O’Brien
Research & Program Specialist, Family Online Safety Institute
Mike Prado
HSI Deputy Assistant Director, DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3)
Donnell Probst
Executive Director, National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
David Sasaki
Program Director, American Institute for Boys and Men
Sydney Saubestre
Senior Policy Analyst, Open Technology Institute at New America
Kim Scardino
Global Online Safety Counsel, Apple
Anne-Sophie Seret
Executive Director & Co-Founder, everyone.AI
Matthew Soeth
Executive Director, Thriving in Games Group
Lucha Sotomayor
Programme Officer, United Nations
Cori Stott
Executive Director, Digital Wellness Lab, Boston Children's Hospital
Melissa Stroebel
VP Research & Strategic Impact, Thorn
Catherine Teitelbaum
Head of Family Trust, Amazon
Kaitlin Tiches
Medical Librarian & Knowledge Manager, Digital Wellness Lab
Liz Thomas
Director of Public Policy, Digital Safety, Microsoft*
Belle Torek, Esq.
Technology Safety Specialist, National Network to End Domestic Violence
Patricia E. Vance
President, Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
Erin Walsh
Co-Founder, Spark & Stitch Institute
Nicola Wright
Director of User Trust & Online Safety, Nintendo of America Inc.*
Andrew Zack
Senior Policy Manager, Family Online Safety Institute
Agenda
8:00 AM – Registration, Networking Breakfast & Exhibits | Sponsored by Electronic Arts
MORNING PLENARY SESSION
9:00 AM – Opening Remarks
Tami Bhaumik, Roblox & FOSI Board Chair
9:05 AM – Welcome Address
Stephen Balkam, FOSI
9:10 AM – Research Launch: Generative AI in Uncertain Times: How Teens are Navigating a New Digital Frontier
FOSI 2025 will kick off with the presentation of original research on teens and generative AI. The research included both quantitative and qualitative portions, and the presentation will feature a youth speaker that participated in the research.
Gina Bell, InTandem; Alanna Powers-O’Brien, FOSI
9:25 AM – Experts React: Generative AI in Uncertain Times: How Teens are Navigating a New Digital Frontier
Immediately following the presentation of original research on teens and generative AI, an Experts React panel will discuss how teens are using, thinking and feeling about generative AI in 2025. The panel will discuss what the research unearthed about teens and generative AI, including their habits, concerns, and hopes. The panelists will bring their own research experience and perspectives to the conversation, to create a well-rounded discussion about what the research means, and where to go from here.
Amanda Lenhart, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (Moderator); Dr. Sunny Xun Liu, Stanford Social Media Lab; Alanna Powers-O’Brien, FOSI; Anne-Sophie Seret, everyone.ai
10:05 AM – What is the FTC’s Role in Online Safety
Andrew Ferguson, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission in conversation with Cecilia Kang, The New York Times
10:25 AM – Education, Empowerment, and Enforcement: Thoughtful Online Safety Approaches
This panel will cover how three different stakeholders are approaching online safety education and empowerment, highlighting Snap’s new Keys educational resource, sharing the latest initiatives and research from Thorn, and discussing the essential role of federal law enforcement in the child protection space. Improving online safety takes a whole of society approach – a culture of responsibility – and these panelists will share their timely work and best practices for helping to keep families safe online.
Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap, Inc.; Mike Prado, DHS Cyber Crimes Center; Melissa Stroebel, Thorn; Andrew Zack, FOSI (Moderator)
10:55 AM — Networking & Exhibitor Showcase | Sponsored by Nex
11:20 AM – MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Next Level Gaming Safety
Online gaming remains an incredibly popular form of entertainment, stimulating challenges, and opportunity for social interactions. But these benefits don’t come without some risk. This panel will dive into the state of gaming in 2025 and how stakeholders are coming together to maximize the positives while mitigating the harms, allowing kids and families to thrive.
Laura Higgins, Roblox; Kristelle Lavallee, Discord; Matthew Soeth, Thriving in Games Group (Moderator); Lucha Sotomayor, United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
Guiding, Shaping, and Leading the Future of Online Safety
This panel of thought leaders will cover a range of online safety considerations, from child development and digital parenting to sharing the latest research and highlighting stakeholder collaboration. Speakers’ years of experience and specific expertise will show how far we have come in improving online safety and highlight opportunities to improve in the future.
Javier Aguera, Pandora’s Way; Jeffrey DeMarco, Save the Children; Colleen McClain, Pew Research Center; Erin Walsh, Spark & Stitch Institute and Author of It’s Their World: Teens, Screens, and the Science of Adolescence
Same Platforms, Different Experiences: Gender and Online Harm
The online world does not impact all young people equally. Boys, girls, and youth of diverse identities face distinct risks and pressures as they navigate digital spaces. This panel will shed light on these gender-based differences, exploring how online harms manifest and what can be done to address them.
Charlotte Aynsley, FOSI (Moderator); Cailin Crockett, SWGfL/StopNCII.org; Ami Kumar, Contrails.ai; David Sasaki, American Institute for Boys and Men;
Chatbots and Childhood: Risks & Opportunities
With chatbots rapidly rising in popularity, families, educators, and policymakers face new questions about their impact. This session will examine the opportunities AI-powered chatbots present, as well as the risks they pose to children and families, with a focus on how to create safe and responsible practices for use.
Danielle A. Davis, Esq., Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey, Mother AI; Allison Mishkin, OpenAI; Mike Pappas, Modulate; Liz Thomas, Microsoft
12:10 -1:05 PM – Networking Lunch | Sponsored by Netflix
1:15 PM – AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Nothing About Us, Without Us: Centering Youth Voices in Digital Safety
Youth voices should be included in all aspects of online safety: designing products, conducting research, writing policies, and convening conferences. This panel will discuss teens’ real experiences navigating their digital lives including how they interact with AI day to day.
Gina Bell, InTandem; Lillie Brown, Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization; Emerie Godfrey, High School Sophomore; Kate Meyer, Mt. Desert Island High School (Moderator); Nadine O., Snapchat Teen Council for Digital Well-Being
What’s Coming Next in Tech?
To look to the future we’ll start in the past, as this panel will run the gamut of trust and safety history, revealing how we got to where we are today, up to exciting cutting edge technology and thoughtful frameworks to improve online safety today and tomorrow.
Henry Adams, Resolver; Rukiya Bonner, BBB National Programs; Rebecca Kern, The Capitol Forum (Moderator); Mike McGrath, NSPCC; Vicktorija Miliajeva, Qustodio by Qoria
Quality Content for Kids: Making Screen Time Worth It
Kids have access to screens, but what they do and what they interact with matters. This conversation will feature medical research, practical guidance for families, and deep dives into positive content for kids.
Sara DeWitt, PBS Kids; Dr. Javoris Hollingsworth, Gracie’s Corner; Dr. Tiffany Munzer, University of Michigan, Ambassador for Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health; Rebecca Parlakian, Zero to Three; Kaitlin Tiches, Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital (Moderator)
Patchwork or Progress: Online Safety in the States
State leaders examine how approaches to children’s online safety vary across the country. Panelists will discuss recent policy developments, highlight the differences between states, and explore how these variations are shaping the experiences of schools and families.
Alex Ambrose, ITIF; Alissa Cooper, Knight-Georgetown Institute; Marissa Edmund, FOSI (Moderator); Travis Hall, Center for Democracy and Technology; Heather Morton, National Conference of State Legislatures
AFTERNOON PLENARY SESSION
2:15 PM – Safe from the Start: An Ongoing Commitment from the Video Game Industry to Protect Player Communities
For more than 30 years, the video game industry has been leading the way in safety by design, embedding protections directly into games, consoles, and tools to address potential risks before they arise. Join the Entertainment Software Association for a discussion on how the industry identifies potential risks and continually innovates to keep players safe while preserving the experiences that make video games the most popular form of entertainment in the world today. By bridging innovation and policy, the discussion will underscore the need for collaborative, informed approaches that strengthen safety without compromising the experience of the games 205.1 million Americans love to play.
Delegate Adrian Boafo, Maryland House of Delegates; Maya A. McKenzie, Entertainment Software Association (Moderator); Patricia Vance, Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB); Nicola Wright, Nintendo of America Inc.
2:45 PM – Empowering Parents, Protecting Kids: Designing Tools that Keep Kids Safe Online
Apple’s robust suite of safety features, including new tools released this year, make it even easier for parents to create safe, age-appropriate digital experiences for kids while protecting their privacy. Speakers will share Apple’s latest innovative tools, which expand upon long-standing powerful features— like Screen Time, Communication Safety, and Ask to Buy — and discuss how the company is approaching innovation and policy solutions that prioritize user safety and privacy.
Stephen Balkam, FOSI (Moderator); Raja Bose, Apple; Kim Scardino, Apple
3:15 PM – The Many Layers of Age Assurance
Age assurance is one of the most complex technical and policy issues of our time. Kate Charlet, Global Head of Privacy, Safety, and Security Policy at Google, will walk us through the challenges and opportunities facing industry, and what best practices look like for risk-based approaches to age assurance.
Kate Charlet, Google; Andrew Zack, FOSI (Moderator)
3:30 PM – Networking & Exhibitor Showcase | Sponsored by Netflix
3:55 PM – Age Assurance: Have We Finally Arrived?
Between new laws that took effect and evolving industry practices, 2025 became the year of age assurance. This panel will reflect on what worked, what challenges remain, and how stakeholders can move forward. Panelists will provide concrete solutions and recommendations to ensure age assurance measures are effective, practical, and responsive to the needs of children, families, and industry.
Almundena Lara, Ofcom; Jules Polonetsky, Future of Privacy Forum; Sydney Saubestre, New America; Andrew Zack, FOSI (Moderator)
4:25 PM – Building Together: The Power of Youth Co-Design in Tech
Join TikTok’s Trust & Safety Global Head of Policy and Product Partnerships for a fireside chat with a member of TikTok’s Global Youth Council and a Praesidio Safeguarding expert on how digital safety and policy for youth must be built with young people—not just for them. Moderated by TikTok, this conversation will explore what meaningful youth engagement looks like in practice, highlighting real examples of how collaboration with young people is helping TikTok design smarter, more sustainable safety solutions across the industry.
Hannah Edwards, Praesidio Safeguarding; Marcelina Maciag, TikTok Global Youth Council; Corey Ponder, TikTok (Moderator)
4:50 PM – Partnerships with Purpose: Building Trust Through Collaboration
FOSI talks about online safety as a Culture of Responsibility – where everyone has a role to play in keeping families safe. Representatives from Amazon Kids, The Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, ConnectSafely, NAMLE, and NNEDV will discuss the power of intentional partnerships in the space. Come hear why creating and maintaining multi-stakeholder partnerships is an online safety best practice we can all support.
Larry Magid, ConnectSafely.org; Donnell Probst, National Association for Media Literacy Education; Cori Stott, Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital; Catherine Teitelbaum, Amazon (Moderator); Belle Torek, Esq., National Network to End Domestic Violence
5:20 PM – Closing Remarks
Stephen Balkam, FOSI
5:30 – 7.30 PM – Evening Reception | Sponsored by Tencent
