{"id":11626,"date":"2025-04-02T20:18:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T20:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fosi.org\/?post_type=tribe_events&p=11626"},"modified":"2025-11-24T03:16:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T03:16:35","slug":"fosi-annual-conference-2025","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/fosi.org\/event\/fosi-annual-conference-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"FOSI 2025 Annual Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

On November 10th, 2025, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted its Annual Conference, Online Safety in Tumultuous Times<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n

The day began with opening remarks from Tami Bhaumik, Vice President of Civility & Partnerships at Roblox and Chair of FOSI\u2019s Board of Directors, followed by a welcome from Stephen Balkam, FOSI\u2019s Founder and CEO.<\/p>\n

FOSI then launched its latest research, Generative AI in Uncertain Times: How Teens are Navigating a New Digital Frontier<\/em><\/a>, which explored how young people are using, thinking about, and feeling toward generative AI. The session featured Gina Bell (InTandem) and Alanna Powers-O\u2019Brien (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\u2019Brien (FOSI).<\/p>\n

The morning plenary continued with a conversation on the FTC\u2019s role in online safety, featuring Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Cecilia Kang of The New York Times<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Entertainment Software Association kicked off the afternoon with a session on safety by design in the gaming industry, followed by Apple\u2019s discussion on new and long-standing safety tools that empower parents while protecting children\u2019s privacy.<\/p>\n

A highlight of the day was the release of FOSI\u2019s brand-new explainer video, \u201cWhat\u2019s the Deal with Age Assurance?<\/a>\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n

The final sessions featured TikTok\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 20th Annual Conference will take place in 2026, marking a major milestone in the organization\u2019s mission to make the online world safer for children and families.<\/p>\n

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Event Highlights:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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