Family Online Safety Institute

Committee Hearing: Children’s Safety in the Digital Era: Strengthening Protections and Addressing Legal Gaps
2025-03-24 00:00 UTC | CA
On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing titled “Children’s Safety in the Digital Era: Strengthening Protections and Addressing Legal Gaps.” The hearing focused on the growing dangers children face online, particularly child sexual exploitation and other online harms, highlighting the failure of Big Tech to implement adequate safeguards, the inadequacy of current legal frameworks like Section 230, and the urgent need for bipartisan legislative action to hold tech companies accountable and protect children.
Witnesses included:

Rep. Brandon Guffey, Representative, South Carolina House of Representatives
Carrie Goldberg, Founder, C.A. Goldberg Law Firm
Mary Graw Leary, Professor, Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
John Pizzuro, CEO, Raven
Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO, Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)

Spotting Red Flags: Recognizing Online Abuse and Harassment, a Safer Internet Day Event
2025-02-12 11:00 - 17:00 | CA
On February 12, 2025, FOSI partnered with Thorn for a powerful discussion on online safety in recognition of Safer Internet Day. This webinar explored key risks facing children online, including harassment, abuse, sextortion, and CSAM, while providing caregivers and educators with actionable strategies to protect young users.
The event began with with a brief introduction by Alanna Powers and continued with Marissa Edmund and Melissa Stroebel as they broke down the warning signs of online abuse and provided practical guidance for parents, caregivers, and educators on how to protect children from bad actors.
Following their discussion, Adele Taylor moderated a thought-provoking, pre-recorded youth panel featuring Thorn’s Digital Safety Ambassadors, Joyce Jin and Sabrina Samidon. The panelists shared their experiences growing up in a digital world, offering insights on navigating risks and staying safe online.This engaging and informative session provided essential guidance for families, educators, and advocates committed to fostering a safer internet for all.

FOSI 2024 Annual Conference
2024-12-09 08:00 - 20:00 | InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf, 801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC 20024, 801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC, MD, 20024, United States
On December 9th, 2024, FOSI hosted its Annual Conference at the InterContinental on the Wharf in Washington, DC. This year’s theme, From Protection to Empowerment, brought together leaders from the public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors to address the most pressing issues in online safety. The conference explored how protective measures can evolve into tools that empower users to confidently navigate the digital world.
The day began with a Keynote Address from Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, who underscored the importance of collaboration in creating safer online spaces. FOSI’s CEO, Stephen Balkam, welcomed attendees with opening remarks that set the tone for the day’s discussions. This was followed by the launch of FOSI’s latest research, Promoting Wellbeing in the Digital World, conducted in partnership with Kantar. Researchers presented findings on how teens and parents in the U.S., Germany, and Brazil perceive the role of digital devices in their emotional, physical, and social wellbeing.
A dynamic panel discussion followed the research presentation, featuring experts such as Dr. Amanda Ferguson from the University of Cambridge, Dr. Jennifer Kotler Clarke from Google, and Dr. Emily Weinstein from Harvard’s Center for Digital Thriving. Moderated by Dr. Nicol Turner Lee of the Brookings Institution, the panel unpacked the study’s implications for industry and policymakers, offering insights on promoting digital wellbeing.
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in thought-provoking sessions covering a range of critical topics. The Global Online Safety Regulators Network reconvened for a two-year review, with regulators from Australia, France, and the UK discussing cross-border collaboration and regulatory progress. A fireside chat with Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, provided further insights into the evolving landscape of online safety policy.
The conference also featured two sets of breakout sessions that allowed attendees to dive deeper into specific areas, such as AI-driven content moderation, financial sextortion, youth perspectives on digital safety, and children’s rights in the digital age. These panels brought together experts from organizations like Snap, Roblox, LEGO, and Thorn, providing a comprehensive look at the opportunities and challenges in online safety.
In the afternoon plenary sessions, mother-daughter TikTok creators, Erica Grit and her daughter Kamilah Ramsay, shared their experiences navigating the digital world together. Additional panels focused on gaming safety innovations, digital parenting in a rapidly changing tech landscape, and building enriching online experiences for teens.
The conference concluded with closing remarks from Stephen Balkam, reinforcing the theme of empowering users in the digital age. Attendees left with fresh insights, actionable strategies, and new connections to advance the mission of online safety.
Event Highlights:

Keynote Address: Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
Research Launch: Promoting Wellbeing in the Digital World
Breakout Panels: Covering topics like AI, financial sextortion, and the rights of children in the digital age
Global Perspectives: Insights from international regulators and Gen Z leaders
Networking Opportunities: Including a lively evening reception

Full videos of all mainstage sessions are available on FOSI’s YouTube channel.
Photos from the conference are now available in our event Event Media Gallery.

FOSI Briefs the States: A Discussion on New York’s Approach to Kids Online Safety
2024-10-10 13:00 - 14:30 | Civic Hall New York
Amidst state, federal, and international attention surrounding kids’ online safety, New York made waves in June 2024 when it passed the SAFE For Kids Act. This law would require chronological feeds as opposed to personalized feeds for minors unless they have parental consent. Additionally, the state passed the New York Child Data Protection Act. This law prohibits the sale, collection, or sharing of minors’ data without their expressed consent and establishes “age flags,” a signal to the user’s device that the user is a minor.
While the laws have passed and will go into effect 180 days after the Attorney General’s rulemaking, questions remain on the technical feasibility of some of the measures. Additionally, most social media bills aimed at protecting children have seen subsequent legal action taken to prevent them from going into effect on First Amendment grounds.
On October 10, 2024, Family Online Safety Institute hosted a roundtable discussion that convened policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society groups to workshop the best ways to make the SAFE for Kids Act most impactful and discuss a path forward for kids online safety in New York.
Lead sponsor of the New York SAFE for Kids Act Senator Andrew Goundardes provided keynote remarks before attendees discussed the benefits and challenges of these laws.
Be on the lookout for more FOSI Briefs the States events in the future!
For inquiries, contact press@fosi.org.

Digital Inequality: A Book Talk with Dr. Nicol Turner Lee & Stephen Balkam
2024-09-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
FOSI hosted a special webinar where our CEO, Stephen Balkam, engaged in a thought-provoking Book Talk with Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, centered around her groundbreaking new book, Digitally Invisible.
This insightful conversation delved into digital inequity, the impact of technology on marginalized communities, and the concept of being “digitally invisible” in today’s rapidly evolving digital world. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from two experts deeply involved in shaping the future of digital inclusion and online safety.
Dr. Nicol Turner Lee’s Digitally Invisible provides a comprehensive look into how certain communities remain underrepresented and underserved in the digital age, with real-world consequences for education, employment, and civic engagement. During the Book Talk, Dr. Turner Lee shared her research, policy recommendations, and practical solutions for bridging the digital divide.
Whether you’re a policymaker, educator, parent, or professional, this event offered important takeaways on fostering a more inclusive digital future. We were thrilled to host such an engaging and important discussion, and we look forward to continuing the conversation on digital inclusion.

Screens and Wellbeing: Tech's Role in Back - to -School Mental Health
2024-09-04 12:00 - 13:30 | Webinar
Back-to-school season marks a huge transition for many children and teens, including the introduction of new technologies both at school and at home. Additionally, as we continue to navigate the youth mental health crisis, a new school year can seem more stressful than ever. What role does tech play in youth mental health? As schools become more and more integrated with digital devices, will young peoples’ mental health be affected? What role can tech play in strengthening your child’s mental health? What online safety measures can we take to make sure young people have a safe, successful and mentally healthy school year?
Our panelists answered these questions and more on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 during a discussion between our moderator Alanna Powers, and mental health/tech professionals Dr. Shairi Turner, Patricia Noel, Nicole Owings-Fonner and Claudia-Santi F. Fernandes followed by a conversation between Lindsay Fleming, LPC, and teens directly affected by these issues.

Resources shared in this conversation:

Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741
What Do Young People in Crisis Need From Their Communities?
School Refusal & Anxiety in Children and Teenagers

Born This Way Foundation
Be There Certificate
Be There Certificate One-Pager
Channel Kindness

Discord Teen Charter
Discord Parent Hub

AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Conversation Starters for Families About Media
Building Healthy Relationships with Media: Essential Skills for Children 10 and Younger
The 5 Cs of Media Use
Managing Content on Social Media Feeds

Family Online Safety Institute
Parents: Your Mental Health Matters, Too
Safety Cards for your Devices

AAP CoE Youth Advisory Panel
Snapchat Youth Council for Digital Well-Being
The Teenage Handbook

LGBTQ+ Youth and the Internet
2024-06-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar
According to the 2023 LGBTQ+ Youth Report conducted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, more than two-thirds of LGBTQ+ youth participate in online communities specifically to engage with other LGBTQ+ people in their age group. Virtually all LGBTQ+ youth, as well as transgender or gender-expansive youth, have used the internet to find information that helps them understand their LGBTQ+ identity. Unfortunately, roughly half of all LGBTQ+ youth have experienced cyberbullying based on their identity.
On Thursday June 20th, FOSI hosted an evening virtual webinar discussion, where we heard opening remarks from FOSI’s Jonathon Bridgeman, before Ellen Kahn (Human Rights Campaign Foundation) presented key findings from HRC’s report. Ellen then lead a discussion featuring two teens and their parents who shared how they safely navigate the Internet, what tools and resources they use to connect to the LGBTQ+ community online, and how they keep themselves and their communities safe.

FOSI 2024 European Forum
2024-06-05 09:45 - 17:30 | 41 Quai du PrÃ©sident Roosevelt, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, 41 Quai du PrÃ©sident Roosevelt, Issy-les-Moulineaux, 92130, France
A Transatlantic Dialogue
On Wednesday, June 5th, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted its 2024 European Forum, “A Transatlantic Dialogue,” Microsoft’s offices in Paris.
This event brought together key government leaders and regulators working to advance online safety, to discuss international regulatory developments. We featured a series of insightful panels, fireside chats, and networking opportunities, aiming to foster a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and future directions of online safety across the globe.
Attendees had the opportunity to engage in dynamic discussions and panel sessions throughout the day featuring some of the foremost experts in the field:

International Government Leaders & Regulators: Prominent figures shared their insights on advancing online safety through effective policy and regulatory measures.
Parenting Experts: Leading professionals provided practical tips and tools for parents navigating the complexities of raising children in a digital age.
Industry Leaders: Representatives from top tech companies discussed their latest innovations in online safety, including new products, features, and educational strategies.
Expert Researchers: Researchers presented their recent findings, offering data-driven insights and trends that can inform future policy, parenting practices, and industry standards.

Additionally, the event included a featured fireside chat entitled, “Lessons from a Facebook Whistleblower,” in which Arturo Bejar, the former Director of Engineering at Facebook, shared his experiences working in big tech and discussed what the industry can do better to prioritize the well-being of teens online.
The FOSI 2024 European Forum provided valuable insights, promoted informed collaboration, and fostered meaningful dialogue among stakeholders dedicated to improving online safety across sectors and borders.
Recordings of each session are available on FOSI’s YouTube channel.

Event Save the Date flyer for download.

FOSI Briefs the States: A Golden Opportunity for Online Safety
2024-05-08 13:30 - 16:00 | Hyatt Regency Sacramento – Capitol View Room, 1209 L Street Sacramento, California 95814
California remains the state to watch as a leader in online safety policy. From being the first state to pass the Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) and the privacy-preserving Delete Act, to the introduction of a bill to address chronological versus algorithmic feeds for minors, California continues to pave the way in regulating online safety and privacy.
In September 2022, when California passed the AADC, the law received both praise and critique from leaders in the tech industry. With increased attention to kids’ online safety, this law has been suggested as a potential path forward. However, with criticism from some tech policy advocates and lawsuits from trade associations, the law faces an uphill battle towards implementation. All of this and more will be discussed at FOSI Briefs the States: A Golden Opportunity for Online Safety.
On May 8, 2024, FOSI hosted their first California state policy event in Sacramento, California. Tami Bhaumik, the VP of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox & FOSI Board Chair, provided opening remarks. California Assemblymember Josh Hoover provided a keynote address. FOSI’s Policy Specialist, Marissa Edmund, moderated a panel discussion featuring:

Larry Magid, ConnectSafely.org
Nichole Rocha, Rocha Public Affairs
Matt Soeth, All Tech Is Human

A full recording of the event will be available on the FOSI YouTube page in the coming days.
This was a widely attended event, free and open to the public and press.

The GenAI Generation: Shaping the Future
2024-02-15 00:00 | Virtual Webinar
In the past year, AI and genAI have become increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. What does this mean for caregivers and policymakers who are working to keep children safe online? Recent FOSI research shows that young people are looking for guidance when it comes to AI/genAI, and caregivers currently have a unique opportunity to educate their children about the topic. Policymakers are also beginning to consider the effects AI/genAI can have on families and children. States, the federal government, and Europe have all taken different regulatory steps in order to limit the risks while reaping the rewards of these technologies.
On February 15th, FOSI hosted a discussion between genAI researcher Michelle Dickens (Kantar) and a parent and teen who participated in FOSI’s recent research report, followed by a robust discussion about the policy implications that stem from FOSI’s recent research with Samir Jain (Center for Democracy and Technology). The conversation was moderated by FOSI’s CEO Stephen Balkam.

FOSI Briefs the Hill Privacy and Safety Bills: Feels a Bit Like Déjà Vu
2023-10-04 12:00 - 13:00 | The Capitol Visitor Center, room SVC 210 Washington, D.C. 20515
If it feels like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have. On July 27, 2022, the Senate Commerce Committee passed both COPPA 2.0 and KOSA out of Committee and sent them to the full Senate. The bills did not advance any further before the session ended, and were reintroduced earlier this year. On July 27, 2023, exactly one year later, the Senate Commerce Committee again passed both bills out of Committee, with some updates and amendments. So, now what?
On October 4, FOSI hosted an in-person lunch briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss the recent changes to these privacy and safety bills, the path to pass both of these bills, and what each would mean for our online lives. Child privacy and safety champion Senator Edward J. Markey delivered opening remarks, before a panel discussion featuring passionate stakeholders, including:

Dona Fraser, BBB National Programs
Dr. Katharina Kopp, Ph.D, CDD
Mike Pappas, Modulate
Andrew Zack, FOSI (moderator)

This event was free to attend, open to the public and the press.

FOSI Briefs the States: Striking the Right Balance in Online Safety
2023-09-12 00:00 | Park City Ballroom – Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City | 170 S W Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Over the past two years online safety policy has become a top priority throughout state capitals. While many states have embraced their own unique cultures and taken different approaches from each other, it is clear that protecting children online is a bipartisan issue. We started this FOSI Briefs the States event series to highlight these recent policy developments and discuss the important, nuanced, and timely issue that is online safety.
In March 2023, Utah became the first state to pass a law regulating social media use for children and teens. Utah’s SB 152 prohibits kids under 18 from using social media during certain hours, requires parental consent for kids to join the platform, and requires age verification for all users. Policymakers have blamed social media for negatively affecting teenage mental health while others have suggested that providing access to information and building communities online has benefits and positive impacts on mental health. Another Utah law, HB 311, aims to hold social media companies liable for harms caused to children.
Utah’s Social Media Regulation Acts passed in March of this year but do not go into effect until March 2024. State Senator Michael McKell recently expressed that there is both opportunity and motivation to amend these laws in the next legislative session before they are implemented.
On September 12, 2023, FOSI held our second FOSI Briefs the States event in Salt Lake City Utah: Striking the Right Balance in Online Safety. The hybrid event included a networking luncheon, and a panel discussion to explore Utah’s new law and what it means to balance keeping children safe online while allowing them opportunities to learn and explore age appropriate materials.
The panel included:
– Taylor Barkley, Utah State University Center for Growth and Opportunity
– Anne Collier, NetSafety Project
– Melanie Durfee, Utah State Board of Education
– Andrew Zack, FOSI (moderator)
Anne Collier kicked off the panel discussing her work reviewing and contributing to research on the mental health impacts of digital technology use, a very real issue that was acknowledged at the outset of the panel. Anne urged policymakers around the world to learn from each other, especially about the benefits of a trusted flaggers program featured in the EU’s Digital Services Act and utilizing Utah’s existing mental health phone lines by making them into Internet helplines. Anne also recommended for parents to be a steady presence in our kids’ lives and underlined the importance of digital literacy, media literacy, and social emotional learning.
Taylor Barkley discussed the complicated and nuanced research into adolescent technology use and how the issue is personal and hits home for many families. Taylor dove deep into age assurance as required by Utah’s law and the important and often difficult tradeoffs of rights to privacy and free expression. However, Taylor noted how other states and governments have tried to balance privacy and safety laws.
Melanie Durfee explained the impressive amount of technology that Utah students have at their disposal. Their student to technology ratio exceeds 1:1, meaning they have more laptops, tablets, and other devices than students. Ms. Durfee went on to discuss Utah’s Portrait of a Graduate resource which includes digital literacy as one of 13 goals for each Utah student.
In the race to protect children from online harms, the need for thoughtful policy, safe industry practices, and meaningful resources for parents and caregivers is paramount. FOSI encourages enlightened public policy that is evidence-based and nuanced in order to be the most effective.

Digital Learning: Prepping for the School Year Ahead
2023-09-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
Getting kids back in the classroom this Fall means tackling tech use from many different angles. In the coming months, parents will be contending with how to balance the extra screen time needed for homework, helping kids navigate complex social dynamics online, and striving to teach them what good behavior looks like by example. Additionally, both parents and kids are learning about generative AI in real time, and how these brand new technologies will impact academics and learning as well as everyday life.
On September 8th, we hosted a discussion with a diverse group of experts about how parents and kids can set themselves up for success this school year in the midst of a quickly evolving digital environment at home and at school.

2023 European Forum
2023-06-27 00:00 | The Foundry, Google Ireland, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Google Ireland, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin, 4, Ireland
Regulating and Innovating Online Safety
On June 27th, FOSI hosted its annual European Forum at the Google Safety Engineering Center in Dublin, Ireland. This event, titled “Regulating and Innovating Online Safety,” featured top representatives across industry, government, academia, and the charity sector as they debated the implications of current and pending global legislation, best practices surrounding AI, digital wellbeing, and more.
Recordings from the forum are available on the FOSI YouTube Channel.
The day began with a welcome address by FOSI’s Board Chair, and Vice President of Civility & Partnerships at Roblox, Tami Bhaumik. She then introduced FOSI’s Founder and CEO, Stephen Balkam, and Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Markham Erickson, for a fireside chat on key online safety issues such as the global collaboration between policymakers, regulators and industry, and the importance of keeping children safe online while ensuring that parents feel confident about their children’s online experience.
The first panel of the day, From Pixels to Policies: Exploring the Legislative Challenges on Online Safety, featured two key regulators from Ireland and the UK Gill Whitehead of Ofcom, and Niamh Hodnett of the Online Safety Commissioner, Ireland, and researcher and academic, Lorna Woods, OBE of the University of Essex. This panel discussed the details of online safety bills and regulation that they see on a daily basis, as well as broader policy trends expanding across jurisdictions. Questions included how laws can promote online safety while still being rights respecting and privacy preserving, what opportunities exist for collaboration between public and private sectors, and where age assurance fits into these policies.
The following panel, Burnout to Balance: Wellbeing in a New Digital Era, featured the industry perspective from both Tami Bhaumik of Roblox and Mindy Brooks of Google, the academic point of view from Andy Przybylski of OII, and the non-profit perspective from Ãine Lynch of Ireland’s National Parents Council. The discussion featured digital wellbeing best practices when thinking about the use of social media, immersive technologies, and AI. Panelists also shared their expertise and discussed ways in which both parents and kids can feel more empowered to take control of their relationship with technology in a healthy and balanced way.
After lunch and time for attendees to network and view the exhibit booths, our third panel of the day, Promoting Safety and Trust in genAI, took the stage. AI experts Courtney Gregoire of Microsoft, Vick Nash of OII, Henry Platten of GoBubble, and Matthew Soeth of Spectrum Labs spoke about one of the most hotly debated and discussed technologies of the year, AI. Panelists discussed the pros and cons of genAI through the lens of online safety, how various stakeholders can and should approach this technology, and how we can best prioritize safety for kids in quickly evolving digital experiences.
The final panel of the day looked to the future. Titled Emerging Horizons: Navigating the Future of Online Safety, Julie de Bailliencourt of TikTok, Iain Drennan of WeProtect, Alex Holmes of the Diana Award, and Trisha Prabhu of ReThink reflected on how advancing technologies will impact our everyday lives, and what this means for the future of online safety. Panelists discussed how all stakeholders, as well as parents and youth themselves, can navigate these complex and evolving times. From a variety of different perspectives, panelists examined the most important facets of online safety as we embark on a new era of digital innovation.
FOSI Founder and CEO Stephen Balkam wrapped up the day with closing remarks, thanking event sponsors Google, TikTok and GoBubble.
Recordings from our 2023 European Forum are available on the FOSI YouTube Channel.
Photos from the event can be found on the Event Media Gallery.

A Connected Community: Empowering LGBTQ+ Teens Online
2023-06-15 11:00 - 12:00
Growing up in a society where acceptance of one’s identity isn’t guaranteed can have adverse effects on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. Recent research from The Trevor Project found that negative treatment at home and at school, as well as legislation targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community, result in negative impacts on young queer peoples’ mental health. Like most young people, LGBTQ+ teens are increasingly connecting with their community online. research conducted by Thorn highlighted the significance of online communities to LGBTQ+ youth, noting that they can often be the places where these young people find the acceptance and affirmation that’s lacking in school and at home.
On Thursday, June 15th, FOSI hosted a webinar discussion centered on the connection between digital life and mental health within the LGBTQ+ community, and the organizations harnessing those connections to create safe spaces online to affirm and empower LGBTQ+ young people.
Panelists included:

Jackson Alder – Senior Digital Strategist, PFLAG National (They/them)
Deborah S. Levine – Chief Program Officer, CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers (She/her)
Wren Rhodes (moderator) – Executive Director, Sam & Devorah Foundation for Trans Youth (They/them)
Christopher Wood – Executive Director & Co-Founder – LGBT Tech (He/him)

Opening remarks were provided by Jonathon Bridgeman – Administrator, FOSI (He/him)
Panelists discussed some trusted resources available for LGBTQ+ young people and their families to safely connect with their communities, Including:

The PFLAG Connects: Communities program, which provides parents and family members a safe, virtual, moderated space where people with shared experiences can connect each month in affinity groups.
Q Chat Space, which provides secure chat-based discussion groups for LGBTQ+ and questioning teens ages 13 to 19.
imi, which provides tools for LGBTQ+ teens to explore their identities in ways that support their mental health.
The Trans Mentor Project, a national e-mentoring program that securely pairs trans and nonbinary (TGNB) youth and young adults with TGNB adult mentors.

When asked how parents/guardians/family members of LGBTQ+ youth can protect and empower their children online and offline in the current climate, Jackson Alder encouraged folks to approach the LGBTQ+ young people in their lives with affirmation and support, giving them ownership of their exploration of the community while learning with and from them. Jackson shared resources including a Guide to Being a Straight Ally for individuals looking to be more active allies to the LGBTQ+ community.
Chris Wood spoke about the ways in which some schools are monitoring the activity of LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and their allies. Chris shared that LGBT Tech is urging educational tech companies that create products used in schools to include safeguards for LGBTQ+ students and their privacy, but suggested caution when using devices and networks provided by schools in places where state and local laws require teachers and administrators to report searching for anything LGBTQ+ related. Chris encouraged folks living in places with such laws to connect with their local PFLAG chapter or LGBTQ+ community center to acquire additional information and resources, and shared that LGBT Tech offers grants to individuals and community centers through their Power On program to fulfill technology needs.
When asked why safe spaces are so important for the LGBTQ+ community, Deborah S. Levine pointed to “safety and security” within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Deborah posited that safety is a need for all people, but that minority stress makes it less likely for LGBTQ+ individuals to find the safety they need in spaces not designed for them. Chris Wood spoke about the importance of reviewing privacy settings and the tools available on social media platforms when determining if they’re a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks and their privacy.
The panel then discussed instances of queer joy they’ve experienced working within channels that connect LGBTQ+ young people. Deborah S. Levine talked about the joy she felt seeing young people come into the chat-based discussions on Q Chat Space from less friendly rural areas, who are learning about queer history for the first time, and are talking with people like them for the first time. To conclude the discussion, the panelists each offered advice for parents and caregivers to help the young people in their lives find balance and prioritize their mental health. They emphasized the importance of learning along with their children, and finding resources when questions arise that they can’t answer on their own.

FOSI Briefs the States: Online Safety in the Free State
2023-05-31 12:00 - 13:30 | The Annapolis Waterfront Hotel, 80 Compromise St., Annapolis, MD 21401
Online safety policy has been one of the most bipartisan areas of collaboration recently and jurisdictions are racing to create new regulations that protect their citizens. States across the U.S. are no exception, as the past few years have seen dozens of bills advance through legislatures including the establishment of data privacy rights, new requirements for online content moderation, age restrictions for accessing social media, and age-appropriate design codes.
Maryland joined the conversation as the 2023 legislative session included the introduction and advancement of the Maryland Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (also known as the Kids Code) and the Social Media Regulation and Safety for Children. The Kids Code, modeled after California’s act that became law last year and the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code, passed the House of Delegates but did not advance out of the Senate. The Social Media Regulation would require platforms to delete all data on children under 13 or face a fine, and also did not advance this past session.
On May 31, 2023, FOSI hosted the inaugural FOSI Briefs the States event in Annapolis Maryland. This panel discussion convened a variety of experts to focus on recent online safety legislation in Maryland and how these policies will impact Maryland families.
This in-person event featured a networking luncheon and a panel discussion around the Maryland Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, the importance of nuance in drafting online safety policy, the impact of research, and recommendations for families as they navigate life online. Panelists discussed both the positives and the risks of online life and took audience questions.
Panelists for this event included:
– Dr. Mary Alvord, Psychologist & Director– Aliya Bhatia, Center for Democracy and Technology– Delegate Jared Solomon, Maryland General Assembly– Shoshana Weissmann, R Street Institute– Andrew Zack, FOSI (moderator)
Delegate Solomon shared his rationale for introducing the Kids Code and dove into the details of the bill. He argued that a design code is the best middleground, in that broad bans are unworkable (for both families and industry), but his approach would be effective in that it would be possible to comply with and enforce. The panel also discussed that the bill is not focused on content but on data management practices and harms analyses, and contains a 90 day right to cure (which is meant to resolve online safety concerns instead of immediate and punitive fines).
Ms. Weissmann and Ms. Bhatia discussed the thoughtful approach to drafting the Kids Code and highlighted some areas of concern and possible improvements, including the practice and accuracy of age verification methods and the many benefits that a national data privacy law would bring to this bill and online safety legislation generally (something that Congress has been working on for decades). They also elaborated that a risk-based and proportional approach is the right way to consider age assurance, where higher levels of assurance are needed for higher risk content and activities, and added that governments should not be overly prescriptive in age assurance regulation.
Dr. Alvord reflected on the APA’s recent guidance on adolescence and social media use, as well as the Surgeon General’s work in this space. She discussed the nuance in this work, that people are complex and there is no one size fits all recommendation that works well for everyone. Dr. Alvord also pressed the need for media literacy, the importance of continued research into both the harms and benefits of adolescents spending time online, and the power of building resilience in young people.
This was FOSI’s first state capital briefing of this kind, and as online safety legislation remains a focus in state legislatures, we plan to continue the series.

FOSI 2023 Annual Conference
2023-04-04 08:30 - 17:00 | InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf, 801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC, MD, 20024, United States

FOSI Briefs the Hill: SCOTUS Tackles Section 230
2023-03-02 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
The full webinar discussion can be viewed on FOSI’s YouTube channel, linked here.
On February 21 and 22, the Supreme Court heard two cases that have the power to drastically change some of the apps and platforms we use every day. In Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh, the Justices examined whether or not online platforms can be held liable for decisions made by algorithms and content recommendation systems that are core to the function of their products. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 has provided relative immunity to platforms for decades, stating that online platforms cannot be held liable for content that users write or post on their sites and apps. These two cases will test how far Section 230 protections extend, and if justices will differentiate between users’ online posts and platform design features that amplify or minimize the spread of content.
This conversation included a legislative history of Section 230 and overview of the two current cases, an explanation of related court cases that focus on online speech, content moderation, and product design, and the role of Congress in amending Section 230. Panelists also responded to audience questions about a safety by design approach to product development, the existing limitations of Section 230 and when it does not apply, and how the statute impacts businesses that do not primarily rely on user generated content.
Featured speakers included:

Keith Chu, Office of Senator Ron Wyden
Jennifer Huddleston, CATO Institute
Caitlin Vogus, Center for Democracy & Technology
Andrew Zack, FOSI (Moderator)

Stephen Balkam, FOSI’s Founder and CEO, opened the discussion.

FOSI 2022 Annual Conference
2022-11-14 08:00 - 19:00 | InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf, 801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC, MD, 20024, United States
Trust & Assurance: Online Safety in an Uncertain World
On November 14th, FOSI hosted its first in-person Annual Conference since 2019. Entitled “Trust & Assurance: Online Safety in an Uncertain World,” this event featured discussions about the increasing importance of trust and safety work across the tech industry as well as the seismic impact that age assurance processes will have on apps and services we use every day. The day featured leaders from the public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors speaking about children’s rights, content moderation, the intersection of privacy and safety, mental health and wellbeing, parenting in a digital world, and much more.
Tami Bhaumik, Vice President of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox, and Chair of the FOSI Board, started the day by giving a welcome address and Stephen Balkam gave opening remarks.
The morning began with the release of FOSI’s new research, “Making Sense of Age Assurance: Enabling Safer Online Experiences,” conducted by Kantar and made possible through support from Google. Chris Carbone and Jillian Domin of Kantar presented highlights from the research, which surveyed children and parents across the US, UK, and France. Some key findings included the high level of engagement and responsibility that parents feel in managing their kids’ online experiences, the attitudes of kids and parents toward the use of biometric components in age assurance methods, and balancing the tradeoff between effectiveness and invasiveness.
After presenting the research, Carbone joined Almudena Lara of Google and Julie Dawson of Yoti for a conversation to further discuss the report, moderated by Tim Sparapani of SPQR Strategies. The panel dug deeper into the findings of the report, and discussed their implications on companies’ efforts to determine user age in order to provide age appropriate experiences, as well as how governments can weave age assurance requirements into their online safety policy work.
Following a short networking break, the first plenary session featured parents discussing how they navigate their kids’ digital lives. Catherine Teitelbaum of Amazon Kids moderated the conversation with Avi Greengart of Techsponential, Kerry Gallagher of St. John’s Prep and ConnectSafely, Alicia Blum-Ross of Twitch, and Terrell and Jarius Joseph, who are parents and influencers. The discussion covered many phases of childhood from establishing healthy tech habits for young children to how to have difficult conversations about navigating all aspects of online life with teenagers. The panelists highlighted certain online safety features, helpful resources developed for families, and personal tips for how to thrive as a modern family with unique digital lives.
The morning breakout sessions gave attendees the option to attend one of four distinct panel discussions. One explored the impact of technology on child development through each developmental cycle of a child’s life and how teachers, parents, and caregivers can navigate tech use through the formative years. Another focused on children’s rights from a global perspective, discussing the importance of online privacy and safety, but also fun and learning in young peoples’ lives. A third panel highlighted many trust and safety challenges online platforms face today and discussed federal and state policies that target some of these challenges, including content moderation. The final morning breakout panel covered online gaming, and discussed new developments in the gaming world from apps to consoles and new safety controls, as well as game design, age ratings, streaming platforms, and educational opportunities.
After lunch and time for attendees to network and view the exhibit booths, the afternoon breakout sessions began. One covered mental health and digital wellbeing and highlighted existing research, as well as the need for much more research in this space, and panelists discussed the nuanced benefits and risks that young people face online. The policy panel discussed the challenges and opportunities of regulating online safety and privacy, highlighting the many legislative efforts in the US right now as well as examining international efforts to include safety and privacy by design and designing age-appropriate online experiences. A third panel featured a diverse group of tech companies discussing their innovative solutions to online safety including family settings and parental controls, curated content targeted to make a positive impact in young peoples’ lives, and more. And the fourth breakout panel discussed media literacy in schools, government and industry efforts to close the digital divide including the Affordable Connectivity Program, and the necessity for access to resources and support for consumers of all ages to better equip all members of the family in identifying misinformation and disinformation.
The afternoon plenary sessions began with a featured conversation between Dr. Shairi Turner of Crisis Text Line and Savannah Badalich of Discord. They discussed how teens and young people use Discord to communicate with friends, family, and find communities, and shared internal research about how teens reach out for help in digital spaces, with the goal of providing the right people and resources in the right places to those online who may be struggling with mental health.
The next plenary session included a fireside chat between Tracy Elizabeth of TikTok and a father-daughter duo of content creators, Billy and Dru Perry. This conversation covered a range of topics including how parents can engage with the same apps, sites, and platforms as their kids, finding common ground when disagreeing, and having honest family conversations around online habits and healthy digital lives.
After a brief break, FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya delivered remarks from the main stage. He discussed protecting teens’ mental health through better privacy protections, designing products and experiences in the best interest of a child, and improving expertise within regulatory bodies (including hiring child psychologists in law enforcement and at the FTC).
The penultimate panel discussed the metaverse and immersive online experiences. David Ryan Polgar of All Tech is Human moderated the conversation that featured Tami Bhaumik of Roblox, Stephanie Montgomery of the XRA, Kristina Podnar of XRSI, and Dr. Louis Rosenberg of Unanimous AI. The panel presented optimism about the future of technology and online interaction, and discussed the opportunities for industry, policymakers, parents, and advocates to cooperate, collaborate, and create technology and online spaces we would all want to engage with.
The final panel of the day featured the announcement of the newly formed Global Online Safety Regulators Network. The four founding members of the network, Celene Craig of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Dame Melanie Dawes of the UK’s Ofcom, Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, and Mary Motofaga of Fiji’s Online Safety Commission were joined by FOSI’s Stephen Balkam to discuss the network, what they hope to accomplish, how other countries can join and collaborate, and the prospects of a safer global Internet.
Video recordings of the plenary sessions are available on the FOSI YouTube channel.
Photos from the event can be found on the Event Media Gallery.

FOSI Briefs the Hill: Congressional Action on Online Safety and Privacy Bills
2022-09-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
A full recording of this webinar is available on FOSI’s YouTube channel. View it here.
On September 21st, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted a FOSI Briefs the Hill webinar on Congressional Action on Online Safety and Privacy Bills. Congress recently advanced two online privacy bills and one online safety bill out of their relevant committees – COPPA 2.0, the ADPPA, and KOSA. This webinar provided an overview of each bill as well as a robust discussion about the strengths, challenges, potential implications, and unintended consequences of each from a variety of expert voices. The panel featured Adam Kovacevich of the Chamber of Progress, Lauren Merk of the Future of Privacy Forum, Jamie Susskind from the Office of Senator Marsha Blackburn, and was moderated by Andrew Zack of FOSI.
Panelists explored the three bills and their goals: updating existing privacy protections for kids; creating new comprehensive data privacy protections for all Americans; and establishing a new online safety standard. Specifically, they discussed increasing online protections for teens while also giving young people more control and agency, prioritizing safety and privacy by design, installing a duty of care for platforms to protect young users, and the role that age assurance has in online safety and privacy. Each panelist felt encouraged by specific aspects of the proposed legislation, but noted areas where more clarification or improvement could be made.
The panel also discussed the laws of states and other countries, and how Congress can learn from the online safety work in these other jurisdictions. Some panelists praised the design of the UK’s risk-based Age Appropriate Design Code and others acknowledged that this code served as a model when drafting their own legislation. The speakers also considered potential downfalls of a state-by-state, country-by-country patchwork of laws and regulations for a space as borderless as the Internet.
The panelists acknowledged the difficulties of passing such significant laws through a divided Congress, yet remained optimistic about the future. They also noted the recent work of the White House, FTC, and state Attorneys General in online safety policy. Finally, panelists reminded us that the online privacy and safety policy space is active, exciting, and more important than ever before.

Emotional Intelligence and EdTech: Essentials for 21st Century Classrooms
2022-09-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
A full recording of this webinar is available on FOSI’s YouTube channel. View it here.
On September 7th, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted a webinar on Emotional Intelligence and EdTech: Essentials for 21st Century Classrooms. In 2022, the back to school season looks different from any other year, as educators incorporate the best aspects of technological developments from the past two pandemic years into predominantly in-person classrooms. This panel of experts was moderated by Laura Tierney of The Social Institute, and featured Jimmeka Anderson of the National Association for Media Literacy Education; Richard Culatta of the International Society for Technology in Education; and Amy Koester of the Association of Library Service to Children.
Panelists explored the concept of empowered learning through curiosity, creativity, and communication, as well as innovative ways that educators can foster digital learning environments. Specifically, the speakers discussed how technology is often presented to children as a list of “don’ts,” even though it is more nuanced than a binary good-or-bad tool for learning. The panelists acknowledged that learning to be a digital citizen is a complex skill and, like anything, takes practice.
The panel discussed tips on making learning more fun and engaging by meeting students at their level and borrowing from their creative experiences with technology to inform lesson planning. Additional tips included: building communities and opportunities for collaboration, and modeling good digital habits as adults through inclusion, communication, and consistency.
The panelists acknowledged that educators are tasked with many responsibilities and this community seeks efficient ways to incorporate technology into classrooms after the global pandemic led to a vast increase in reliance on devices for learning. They noted that educators can use the knowledge they already have about tech as a starting point to expand their understanding of digital and media literacy. The panelists believe that now is the time to set guidelines for students about how to use technology appropriately, while also making the most of the digital tools that were introduced during the pandemic. Finally, the panelists shared that we can achieve success in building emotional intelligence among students through collaboration, conversations, and by establishing genuine, open relationships with young people.

2022 European Forum
2022-06-23 09:00 - 14:00 | In-Person – Google, 6 Pancras Square, London, 6 Pancras Square, London, United Kingdom
Recordings from our European Forum are available on the FOSI YouTube Channel.
On Thursday, 23rd June, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted its 2022 European Forum, entitled “Online Safety: A Transatlantic View.” It was our first in-person event since 2019 and was hosted by Google, with additional sponsorship and support provided by TikTok and Yoti. The event aimed to capture multiple perspectives on the online safety landscape between the US, UK, and Europe.
The day opened with remarks from Stephen Balkam (FOSI) and Markham Cho Erickson (Google); who spoke to both the opportunities and challenges that technology presents, and announced Google’s sponsorship of FOSI’s upcoming research on age assurance. Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, Founder of the 5Rights Foundation, delivered a keynote address on the mandate of responsibility, the balance of rights and access, and setting high standards for how parents, policymakers and companies can do better. She discussed the necessity of translating children’s rights into the digital world, how governments must work together to set a minimum floor for online safety, and how industry must push to innovate both safer and more private solutions to children’s online safety.
The first panel of the day, “Can We Regulate Online Safety?” was moderated by Julie Dawson (Yoti), and featured panelists Martin Drechsler (FSM), Alexandra Evans (TikTok), Fred Langford (Ofcom), and Sonia Livingstone (London School of Economics). The discussion covered high level points such as the intersection of privacy and safety online and attempts by governments and industry to balance free speech and expression with creating safe online environments for all populations, especially children and teens, as well as more specific examples of industry self-regulation and safety by design principles.
The forum’s second panel, “Making Age Assurance a Reality,” was moderated by Stephen Balkam, and featured panelists Asha Allen (CDT), Iain Corby (Age Verification Providers Association), Almudena Lara (Google), Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov (The LEGO Group), and Dr. Rachel O’Connell (TrustElevate). The panel discussed the advantages and disadvantages of age assurance practices including verifiable parental consent, and the delicate balance that is needed between the protection of minors, the proportionality of risk and data minimization, and the importance of child rights. This conversation explored what would make for a holistic approach to age assurance in regards to industry, regulators, users, and other stakeholders.

FOSI Briefs the Hill on Global Online Safety Policy
2022-05-16 11:00 - 16:00
A full recording of this panel is available on YouTube. View it here.
On May 16th, FOSI hosted a webinar on international online safety policy as part of its FOSI Briefs the Hill series. The expert panel included:

Asha Allen, Center for Democracy and Technology, Brussels
Charlotte Aynsley, Digital Safeguarding Consultant, UK
Landon Klein, California State Assembly’s Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, US
Andrew Zack, FOSI (Moderator)

The panelists discussed current policy efforts to improve online safety including the Digital Services Act in the EU, the Age Appropriate Design Code and Online Safety Bill in the UK, and the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act in California. Beyond these policy proposals, the conversation touched on the importance of age assurance, thoughtful considerations in the ed tech and student privacy space, establishing privacy and human rights as a baseline policy, recommendations for Congress, and how to account for future technologies in present-day policies.
The following resources were shared during this panel discussion:

Digital Futures Commission Embedding children’s rights in data-driven education systems
FOSI Policy Briefs Creating an Age Appropriate design Code in California

Stephen Balkam, FOSI’s Founder & CEO, opened the discussion.

A Transatlantic Youth Dialogue on the Future of Digital Safety
2022-03-01 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
A full recording of this panel is available on YouTube. View it here.
Thank you so much, Microsoft, for your partnership and support in putting together this webinar.

On Tuesday, March 1st, the Family Online Safety Institute convened a youth panel discussion with the support of Microsoft that featured four representatives from Microsoft’s Council for Digital Good US and Council for Digital Good Europe. Stephen Balkam of FOSI facilitated this conversation alongside Dr. Sameer Hinduja of the Cyberbullying Research Center and they were joined by Aishwaryaa and Anna, both 14, of the Council for Digital Good US; and Donagh and Wu-Ji, both 16, of the Council for Digital Good Europe.
The conversation opened with a high-level overview of the recently released 2022 Digital Civility Index from Microsoft which reports on the global perspective of Internet risks, behavior online, and personal safety. The panelists then shared about their relationship with technology as it relates to living the past few years in a global pandemic, specifically how it affected their social relationships, educational experience, and adaptability towards the general use of tech.
The teens then shared about their friendships and how tech either supported fostering new connections or impacted their ability to stay close to those around them. They agreed that while it was much easier to stay connected through different modes of communication, it was also natural to fall out of touch with friends and that online interactions did lead to some level of disconnect and confusion around context and body language.
The panel then shared areas where they were excited about and concerned for emerging technology like the metaverse, how virtual spaces can both foster and hinder empathy, and suggestions for tackling hate speech and biased offenses on platforms. In a short question and answer period, the panelists discussed how tech plays a part in developing social and emotional skills, age recommendations for lessons around empathy, and whether schools are doing enough to teach about online safety and digital civility.

Teen Relationships: The Good, The Bad, & How Parents Can Help in a Digital World
2022-02-15 11:00 - 12:00 | CA
A full recording of this panel is available on YouTube. View it here.
Thank you so much, Aura, for your partnership and support in putting together this webinar.

On Tuesday, February 15th, the Family Online Safety Institute and Aura, a provider of intelligent safety solutions, convened a panel discussion entitled, “Teen Relationships: The Good, The Bad, & How Parents Can Help in a Digital World.” Stephen Balkam, FOSI’s Founder & CEO moderated the conversation between these leading experts: Dr. David Greenfield of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction; Erica Olsen of the National Network to End Domestic Violence; Rita Smith of DomesticShelters.org; and Ryan Toohil of Aura.

The panelists began their conversation by discussing the importance of having open conversations about tech expectations and responsibilities as teens and young people join online spaces to explore their identities and relationships – particularly as different generations have different expectations for online safety and data privacy. The panelists agreed that conversations around consent are an effective way to establish privacy and safety online and lessen unintended consequences.

The panelists then discussed ways that parents can identify if their child is in an unhealthy relationship. Some of the advice included getting to know who their child’s best friend is in order to be more approachable and have someone else to ask if anything is wrong; knowing how to recognize signs of withdrawal, secrecy, or stress over a device, account, or notifications; and overall how to engage with teens in order to keep them talking.

The conversation then flowed to the topic of parental controls, specifically about managing expectations while implementing them. For example, it is encouraged that parents be open about the use of controls and explain what will happen when a child reaches a particular website before they are implemented. The panelists agreed that it is best to talk early to children about online safety, citing kindergarten to age 7 as appropriate timing, and that while easy technical solutions do exist for monitoring behavior, it shouldn’t replace the opportunity to have safety conversations with your child.

Finally, the panelists gave commentary on what platforms can do as next steps after a user has reported a violation of their service and how to lessen the effects of minimizing the issue. The panel discussed how the pandemic has affected their work, specifically noting that lockdown periods forced isolation between victims and abusers and allowed abuse to persist. And they gave suggestions on how parents can talk to their teens about suggestive, explicit photos, image-based abuse, and consent. The conversation closed after the panelists gave their thoughts on the emerging metaverse.

FOSI 2021 Annual Conference
2021-11-15 08:00 - 18:00 | A Live Virtual Event
Recovery & Renewal: Creating a path to a new normal
On November 15th, FOSI hosted its live, virtual 2021 Annual Conference, entitled “Recovery & Renewal: Creating a path to new normal.” This event highlighted our most important insights from the last year and a half, to ensure that our new normal includes revamped best practices for ourselves, our families, and our world. The event convened leaders across industry, government, academia, and the nonprofit sector to discuss a variety of topics within online safety such as content moderation, the digital divide, children’s privacy, and digital wellbeing, among others.
Caroline Curtin, Director of Government Affairs at Microsoft and Chair of the FOSI Board, started the day by giving a welcome address and Stephen Balkam, CEO, gave opening remarks.
The first session of the conference was the launch of FOSI’s new research, “Managing the Narrative: Young People’s Use of Online Safety Tools,” made possible in partnership with Snap Inc. and conducted by The Harris Poll. Findings from the report were presented by researchers David Krane and Jessica Massay, who shared the leading findings from the report, specifically about young people’s attitudes and experiences in the discussion around online safety, their feedback on what remains difficult, and how parents, educators, and industry can provide better blueprints to continue creating helpful solutions.
Following their presentation, a panel of experts shared the stage for the first plenary session, and provided a further dissection of Managing the Narrative. Dr. Ellen Selkie of the University of Wisconsin, Madison moderated a conversation between Jacqueline Beauchere from Snap Inc, David Krane of The Harris Poll, and Amanda Lenhart of Data & Society Research Institute. The panelists shared their reactions to the report as well as discussed the methodology used and how the pandemic provides contextualization to the findings. The panelists also spoke about the importance of a healthy parent-child relationship when it came to technology and discussed the ways in which industry can work together with parents to create a safe and inclusive experience for teens online.
After a short networking break, Dr. Richard Graham of Good Thinking: The London Digital Mental Wellbeing Service led the discussion for the â€˜Setting the Scene: Psychological Wellbeing & Resilience’ plenary. He was joined on screen by Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin of The Mayo Clinic, author and filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, and Rosalind Wiseman of Cultures of Dignity. The panel explored their interpretation of wellbeing and resilience, how to create spaces that encourage digital wellbeing for children and families, and how best to establish honest communication, supportive relationships, and healthy boundaries when it comes to digital exploration.
In the final session of the morning, Stephen Balkam of FOSI was joined in conversation by Karen Ressmeyer of Amazon and Dr. Michael Rich of the Digital Wellness Lab. â€˜Technology’s Positive Role in Child Development’ showcased how Amazon Kids approaches product development and privacy in their new kids products as well as highlighted the ways in which technology can play a helpful and positive role in child development when created thoughtfully and used in moderation.
The first set of breakout sessions explored a wide range of topics including policy, parenting, industry, and research. The policy panel explored the international implications of COPPA and the Age Appropriate Design Code, namely how the AADC can be a model and tool for global privacy and safety protection for children online. The parenting session discussed ways in which families can benefit from having regular conversations about setting tech expectations as well as actionable tips parents can use to manage tech in the home. In the “Industry Solutions” panel, speakers discussed a variety of topics ranging from recent technical safety features and the design process of such products to the importance of research and media literacy campaigns in developing the best user and parental controls for online safety. In “Gathering the Evidence: Latest Research and Insights,” researchers discussed how the pandemic has globally affected teens and young people in regards to their relationship with technology as well as how the past year and a half have affected cyberbullying, resilience measures, and what further research is needed in this space.
Our featured afternoon fireside chat was a discussion between Antigone Davis and James Hairston of Meta and Dr. Lewis Bernstein, formerly of Sesame Workshop. In “Tap into the Metaverse,” the speakers presented a brief explanation of what the metaverse is, the significant opportunities to develop kids’ content and build empathy, and how partnering with organizations can ensure companies build immersive user experiences responsibly and with safety as a key pillar.
The afternoon breakout sessions featured topics on mental health, misinformation, and closing the digital divide. “Promoting Mental Health & Mitigating Self Harm” showcased how social platforms are dealing with complex issues related to the pandemic and social media use for teens. In a discussion called “Facts, Lies & Reality: Addressing False Information Online,” speakers considered the difficulties of combating misinformation online, the history of misinformation before the Internet, constitutional and First Amendment concerns in regulating online speech, plus the responsibility of consumers, policymakers, and tech companies in fighting the spread of misinformation. In the session discussing closing the digital divide, speakers shared the historical context of federal broadband adoption efforts while highlighting what is currently being done in this setting, namely the many consumer, community, and industry programs that work on improving the implementation and accessibility of broadband services.
The penultimate panel of the day addressed “Making the Gaming World Safer Through Research, Parental Controls, and Self-Regulation,” and featured Savannah Badalich of Discord, Linda Norman of Microsoft and Xbox, Stanley Pierre-Louis of the Entertainment Software Association, Katie Salen Tekinbas of UC Irvine, and was moderated by digital parenting expert Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov. The discussion included an overview of the gaming regulatory landscape and how the age and content rating system operates, plus recent research into the benefits of gaming and online connectivity and a view of the parental and user safety controls.
The final panel of Recovery & Renewal considered how to create a path to a new normal. With Laura Higgins of Roblox as moderator, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, The Diana Award’s Tessy Ojo CBE, Oxford Internet Institute’s Dr. Andrew Przybylski, and clinical psychologist Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair discussed the benefits and challenges of our current hybrid lives while tackling the importance of research to inform policymaking and parental guidance, regulatory feasibility and practicality, the mental health challenges facing kids and families, and the strategies used to mitigate the harms while reaping the many rewards of our digital lives.
Full videos of all plenary and breakout sessions are available on FOSI’s YouTube channel.
Click to view our online commemorative photobook.
#fosi2021 #RecoveryandRenewal

School’s Back - Now What?
2021-09-15 12:00 - 13:00
A full recording of this event is available on YouTube. View it here.
On Wednesday September 15th, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted a virtual fireside chat titled, “School’s Back – Now What?” FOSI CEO Stephen Balkam led a conversation with Diana Graber of Cyberwise and Cyber Civics, where they explored a number of topics surrounding what back to school looks like in 2021. They discussed ways that parents, educators, and school administrators can support each other in providing a quality learning environment and experience for students this year.
The conversation opened with a brief overview of the current educational landscape, emphasizing all the work that educators have done to adapt to different styles of teaching in the past few years and how resilient children are for maintaining their academic lessons through the changes as well. As an educator herself, Diana shared personal stories from her classroom, noting that students felt technology and video conferencing software allowed online learning and socialization to happen easily, but not without its drawbacks. She remarked that both students and teachers have become much more tech savvy over the past year and a half, and those skills are valuable moving forward, predicting that the state of education will not regress back to pre-pandemic operations, instead incorporating more technology, devices, and increased EdTech in curriculums.
The importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) was heavily discussed, acknowledging the likelihood that teachers will have to address current events that a student sees at home or while using their device. Being able to have group conversations about what is going on in their students’ lives allow for more engaging lessons and meaningful student-teacher interactions. Diana and Stephen also spoke about the ways communities, schools, and families can come together and set technology rules or “classroom norms” that everyone would operate from to keep their classroom community digitally safe and healthy.
During a Q&A period, Stephen and Diana answered questions from the audience on everything from hybrid learning and how to engage parents in digital academic activities to building and encouraging resilience related to viewing difficult online content, cyberbullying, and sexting.

Children @ Play: Developing Skills, Community and Connection Online
2021-05-26 15:00 | Webinar
A full recording of this panel is available on YouTube. View it here.

On Wednesday 26th May, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted its 2021 European Forum. Stephen Balkam, FOSI CEO, moderated the conversation between foremost experts in child psychology, wellbeing, and online play. He was joined by Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin of the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Richard Graham of Good Thinking: The London Digital Mental Wellbeing Service, Laura Higgins of Roblox, and Rukayah Sarumi of the LEGO Group.
The panelists began their conversation by reflecting on some of the changes in play that they observed throughout the pandemic. Young children have adapted and remained resilient, often by using technology to maintain social connection and build communities online. Debates about screen time have evolved and parents are now looking at children’s daily tech use in comparison to other healthy behaviors like adequate sleep, nutrition, and socialization.
The conversation pivoted to how diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts make a difference in early childhood play. Research has shown that children from disadvantaged backgrounds often lack access to safe areas for outside play, and thus spend more time on screens for entertainment. This reiterates the importance of creating more high-quality content for kids. Panelists agreed on the importance of closing the digital divide and ensuring all children have access to online opportunities and educational materials.
The panel shared the different social, cognitive, creative, and emotional skills that kids gain when they play online, such as developing a sense of agency and conflict resolution, both of which can be transferred to different experiences in the real world.
To conclude, panelists discussed the rising concerns that parents have as kids transition back to in-person education and how best to maintain the benefits that have come from remote schooling. Encouraging digital citizenship and digital literacy was reiterated by all panelists as a priority for governments and industry around the world.

Teens, Screens and Mental Health
2021-05-13 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
A full recording of this event is available on YouTube. View it here.
On Thursday May 13th, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted a virtual panel discussion, “Teens, Screens and Mental Health.” Julie Jargon of The Wall Street Journal moderated the conversation between these leading experts: Dr. Kara Bagot of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Kelly Davis of Mental Health America, Tracy Elizabeth of TikTok, Dr. Niklas Johannes of the Oxford Internet Institute; and Becka Ross of Crisis Text Line.
The conversation opened with a brief overview of current research that explores the relationship between technology use and teens’ mental health, emphasizing the importance that longitudinal data provides in explaining tech use and mental health symptoms over time. It was also mentioned that screen time is an imprecise way to measure impact considering the multitude of categories that media presents.
Panelists discussed screen time and digital behaviors that are high risk or most rewarding for teenagers, noting the difference between active and passive screen time and how different groups use social media. For a lot of teens, the communities they find online are a way to get support for the challenges in their lives, and an outlet for them to connect with others. Advice was given for parents seeking to establish and enhance healthier relationships between kids and technology and how parents, educators, and other adults can recognize signs of poor mental health. Experts also shared how teens are using technology to seek mental health support for themselves and for one another online when they may not be able to do so in the offline world.
The discussion ended with reflections on the ways in which the tech industry plays a role in mental health support, emphasizing the collaboration needed between industry and their trusted community and organizational partners. It was agreed that tech must be designed to honor the development of youth, and how governments should support collaboration as well.
In a brief Q&A period, panelists shared digital parenting strategies regarding social media for younger teenagers, widespread tech use, and the ability to stay up to date on the types of content children are consuming online.

FOSI Briefs the Hill - In Conversation with Representatives Lori Trahan and Jennifer Wexton
2021-03-11 15:00 - 15:45
A full recording of this event is available on YouTube. View it here.
On Thursday March 11, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted the latest installment of its FOSI Briefs the Hill series, “In Conversation With Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10).”
FOSI CEO Stephen Balkam moderated the conversation with the Representatives, who opened the conversation explaining why online safety is important to them, both in their representative role and within their families. Representative Wexton noted that as part of the Congressional Task Force on Digital Citizenship, she takes a holistic approach to online safety during her online safety conversations. Representative Trahan observed the power and promise of technology, especially during the pandemic.
Representative Trahan highlighted the importance of comprehensive privacy legislation, which is also a priority for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She called out the need for specific privacy protections for children and incorporating safety by design into products. Rep. Trahan noted promising pieces of legislation, including the KIDS Act and CAMRA, and spotlighted the United Kingdom’s Age-Appropriate Design Code. Representative Wexton spoke about the Congressional Task Force on Digital Citizenship, noting the importance of teaching people to be responsible users and producers of content online – no matter the age group. Both highlighted the need for media literacy education, and skill building to recognize misinformation and disinformation, online scams and online manipulation.
The importance of closing the digital divide and improving broadband connectivity was discussed, followed by each Representative giving their predictions for the new Congress, which included updates to COPPA and advancing legislation providing funding for research.
