Family Online Safety Institute

The Family Online Safety Institute works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practice, tools and methods in the field of online safety, that also respect free expression. We do this through the development of public policy, technology, education and special events. FOSI is a trusted convener, bringing together leaders in government, industry and the nonprofit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions in child safety in a Web 2.0 world.

The Family Online Safety Institute is an International, non-profit membership organization dedicated to working to develop a safer Internet. There are four pillars to the work of the Institute; these are events, public policy, technology and education.

With offices in the US and the UK, we are uniquely placed to reflect the wider International context in which the push for a safer Internet is being played out. The breadth and depth of our membership reflects this. Our current members include: AOL, AT&T, Blue Coat, Boodoo, British Telecom, Comcast, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Loopt, Microsoft, MySpace, NCTA, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, Kingston Communications, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Telefónica, Telmex, The Wireless Foundation, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and Yahoo!

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) is a UK company registered in England, UK, Number 3741770. Limited by Guarantee. Its registered office is at 12/13 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD. It is also a registered UK Charity number 1095268, USA 501(c) 3 organization number 52-2210323.

The Family Online Safety Institute works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practice, tools and methods in the field of online safety, that also respect free expression. We do this through the development of public policy, technology, education and special events. FOSI is a trusted convener, bringing together leaders in government, industry and the nonprofit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions in child safety in a Web 2.0 world.

The Family Online Safety Institute is an International, non-profit membership organization dedicated to working to develop a safer Internet. With offices in the US and the UK, we are uniquely placed to reflect the wider International context in which a push for a safer Internet is being played out.

In an age of free-flowing digital content, we all believe in the value of the online world but we also know the dangers and the need to protect children from the worst of the web. But how? Should governments censor certain types of content or mandate the use of an adult label? Or can the international internet industry rally round a comprehensive and cohesive set of policies, technologies and public education messages and demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that it is capable of rising to the challenge of family protection? This is the critical question the Family Online Safety Institute responds to. FOSI, through its member companies, is at the forefront of industry efforts at self-regulation.

There are four pillars to the work of the Institute:

• Events - expanding our highly regarded international roundtables to include larger seminars and conferences. The Institute hosts an annual two-day international conference, trade show and awards dinner to highlight the extraordinary work, products and services that exist today. Learn more

• Public Policy - developing our thought leadership and taking on the work of a think tank, producing high quality position papers, media appearances and editorial comment. Learn More

• Technology - continuing the ground-breaking work of ICRA labels, the ICRAplus filter, ICRAchecked and many other innovations in the online safety field. Learn More

• Education - bringing together and highlighting the best of the safety messages, tools and methods to reach parents, children and care givers. We continually expand our efforts to educate and inform governments, regulators, the industry and the media around the world on a balanced approach to online safety. Learn more

The State of the Online Safety Report

This annual report provides a snapshot of online safety thinking and practice across government, industry and non-profit sectors in many parts of the world. The areas we look at include:

• Existing and pending legislation and regulatory regimes
  
• The safety implications of existing and emerging technology
  
• Education initiatives

The State of Online Safety report is presented at FOSI's Annual Conference and Exhibition each November or December. Contributions are always welcome.

Online Safety Education Initiative

FOSI and many experts in this field, believe that in addition to filtering technology, we need more online safety education to reach parents and children alike. What is also acknowledged is that there is a wide range of approaches, messages, curricula and safety tips available, with little or no evaluation of their effectiveness or relevance in our Web 2.0 world. This project, the first of its kind to be undertaken by the Family Online Safety Institute, will do a stock-take of what currently exists, what impact these programmes and messages actually have, and synthesize the very best messages and approaches and present these at our next annual conference.

With the onset of convergence and the explosion of new types of digital content devices and new meeting places online, such as social-networking-sites, the need for a new kind of approach to the issue of online safety is essential.

This project will address the growing concerns of parents and teachers alike about the harmful content and harmful contact that children are increasingly exposed to online. It is our hope that with a combination of tools and rules, children will be both better protected and made more aware of the many potential dangers on the internet

Natasha Jackson
Chair, Family Online Safety Institute 
Head of Content Policy, GSM Association

I am delighted to welcome you to the FOSI website and introduce you to the impressive array of our member companies and activities in the area of family and child online safety.

Engaging with the wider industry sectors and fostering discussion and cooperation across all stakeholders is a key requirement for all of us who are seeking to help protect children online and ensuring they can more safely enjoy and prosper from all the benefits and positives of online experiences.

FOSI is a unique international organisation that brings together and facilitates dialogue between leaders in industry sectors, hosting a remarkable set of challenging and thought- provoking roundtables and seminars. Through our annual conference we bring key players from across all sectors of the online and communications industry together with international thought leaders, researchers, NGOs and policy makers.

In 2009/10 FOSI will be promoting a culture of online responsibility. For those of you who have yet to become actively involved in the issues of children and family online safety we urge you to do so and to take time to explore our website and join us at one of our international events!

Stephen Balkam, CEO
Family Online Safety Institute

Welcome to the new FOSI website! We are excited and thrilled with the new look and feel of our site and the many features it offers everyone interested in the growing field of online safety.

We feel passionately that everyone – lawmakers, internet companies, parents, teachers and the kids themselves, need timely and relevant information about how best to stay safe online while also respecting the free expression rights of internet users.

You will find here an extraordinary wealth of news, views, tools and tips as well as a growing body of video presentations on online safety. We welcome your thoughts and suggestions and I look forward to working with you in making the online world safer for kids and their families.