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Press Releases 2010
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FOSI and Member Companies Promote Careful Clicking on Safer Internet Day
Global "Think B4 U Post" campaign raises Internet safety awareness
WASHINGTON - The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and several member companies will celebrate Safer Internet Day (SID) today by helping promote online safety for young people through various initiatives in several countries throughout the world. This year's theme "Think B4 U Post" aims to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world.
FOSI members released the following statements on the importance of Safer Internet Day:
"As an international organization, FOSI is happy to see Safer Internet Day activities growing in popularity around the world," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "Increased attention on such a day shows the importance around Internet safety issues and shows how relevant they have become in our society. We commend our member companies for planning events and raising awareness across the globe."
Jill Nissen, vice president and Chief Policy Officer at Ning, a technology platform for creating social networks around interests and passions, echoed Balkam's sentiment.
"Safer Internet Day allows us to continue our commitment to educate people about staying safe online and to promote digital citizenship on the part of our members: civil, ethical and mindful participation in their social networks on Ning.
Especially on social platforms like ours, where millions of people are communicating every day, it's extra important that members are aware of the various privacy and safety features available to them. From the beginning, Ning made the decision to build and implement comprehensive safety and privacy features into the Ning Platform and to give our members the tools to control their privacy and safety at every level. Ning empowers its members to make their own communities safe and has a comprehensive set of Safety Tips and Resources located at: http://about.ning.com/safety.php."
"AT&T proudly supports Safer Internet Day," said Brent Olson, Assistant Vice President of Public Policy at AT&T. "In a world where people, both young and old, have become so dependent on technology, the necessity to educate parents and their children on the importance of responsible online behavior is vital. AT&T offers parental control tools, guidelines and resources for families of all ages to promote safe Internet use."
Catherine Teitelbaum, Yahoo!'s director of child safety and product policy, was especially in support of this year's "Think B4 U Post" theme. "Yahoo! goes to great lengths to empower people to create a safer Internet experience. We have put particular focus on educating our users about positive digital reputation management and we work to remind our users of the importance of thinking carefully before posting content on the internet. We are glad to see that this year's Safer Internet Day theme will emphasize this important issue."
Many FOSI members, including Symantec, Facebook and MySpace will partake in Safer Internet Day activities.
FOSI Board Member Marian Merritt of Symantec, a computer software company that provides Internet security and is known for its famous "Norton anti-virus software," will be hosting a media panel in London highlighting the U.K. Council for Child's Internet Safety's campaign encouraging children to "Click Clever, Click Safe" online. Additionally, Symantec will launch the free OnlineFamily.Norton family-safety service in the U.K.
Popular social networking sites and Internet destinations, MySpace, Facebook and Yahoo! will promote Safer Internet Day to their respective communities through their blogs "MySpace Today," the "Facebook Blog," and "Yodel Anecdotal." MySpace will highlight the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) "Click Clever, Click Safe" campaign and the surrounding messaging of "Zip it, Block it, Flag it". The Government link will also link to the "Think B4 U Post" campaign.
Additionally, both social networking leaders, MySpace and Facebook, will be participating in a round table discussion on Safer Internet Day in Strasbourg, France, where the Commission will also be presenting their results and assessment of the "Safer Social Networking Principles for the EU," which were signed in February 2009 by 20 major social networks including MySpace and Facebook.
Safer Internet Day is organised by Insafe, the European Safer Internet awareness-raising network co-funded by the European Commission, and is celebrated in over 60 countries throughout the world. Today will mark the 7th annual celebration of Safer Internet Day.
About FOSI
The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods that also respect free speech. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, Blue Coat Systems, BT Retail, Comcast, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Kingston Communications, Loopt, Microsoft, MySpace, NCTA, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Telefónica, TELMEX, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon, Yahoo. FOSI hosts an annual international conference to bring together Internet safety advocates from a variety of sectors, including global corporations, government, non-profits, academia and the media, to discuss the current pulse of online safety and emerging solutions that will enhance it. For more information, please visit www.fosi.org.
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FOSI Applauds Digital Nation Documentary
FRONTLINE film on our online lives to air on PBS tonight
WASHINGTON – The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today congratulated award-winning producer Rachel Dretzin and Douglas Rushkoff on the FRONTLINE documentary "Digital Nation" set to air on PBS tonight. "Digital Nation" is a follow-up film to "Growing Up Online" that looks at how digital media has transformed every aspect of our culture, from how people learn to how they socialize to how they work.
"The FRONTLINE producers have created an amazingly compelling documentary that looks at what we've gained and lost in our 24/7 connected lives," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "'Digital Nation' takes a unique look at the many benefits digital technology brings to our families and communities, but also looks at the disadvantages that come along with our technology dependency. This documentary highlights the need for heightened digital and media literacy programs to help our society cope with the new challenges of living in a web 3.0 world."
"Digital Nation was a first for FRONTLINE: a multiplatform project, full of short online videos, a producers' blog and user-generated content called Your Stories," said Rachel Dretzin, FRONTLINE producer. "We wanted to use the transparency and interactivity of online media to examine the real-world effects of technology on kids, and start a dialogue on how technology could so drastically impact our society in just one generation. I learned a great deal from this film – from those I interviewed, from those I worked with and even from my own family." For more on FOSI's reaction to "Digital Nation" read Stephen Balkam's review in the Huffington Post, "Are We (Virtually) There Yet?"
FOSI, in association with NCTA, is holding a screening of "Digital Nation" on February 25, 2010 at NCTA. Click here to find out more.
About FOSI
The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods that also respect free speech. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, Blue Coat Systems, BT Retail, Comcast, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Kingston Communications, Loopt, Microsoft, MySpace, NCTA, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, Privo, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Telefónica, TELMEX, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon, Yahoo. FOSI hosts an annual international conference to bring together Internet safety advocates from a variety of sectors, including global corporations, government, non-profits, academia and the media, to discuss the current pulse of online safety and emerging solutions that will enhance it. For more information, please visit www.fosi.org.
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FOSI and Facebook Encourage Responsible Digital Citizenship, Provide Tips for Maximizing Online Privacy
Data Privacy Day aims to empower consumers to protect information online
WASHINGTON – In conjunction with Data Privacy Day, the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and Facebook today issued the following statements and privacy guidelines for consumers to consider when surfing the web. Data Privacy Day is recognized around the world to bring attention to the many benefits of mobile communication, but at the same time, acknowledge the potential risks it brings with it.
“Few too many people read privacy policies and set privacy settings,” said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. “Data Privacy Day is a good time to think about what information consumers are revealing about themselves on the web and take the time to talk to kids about the content they are posting and where they are posting it. We need to work together to be more responsible digital citizens.”
“We proudly support Data Privacy Day, a day that raises awareness about protecting privacy in an increasingly digital world,” said Richard Allan, Facebook director of European public policy. “Privacy is core to the Facebook experience, and a fundamental element of maintaining personal privacy online is being able to control what you share and with whom. Facebook offers users industry leading tools to control their information, and recommends that people adjust their privacy settings to match their level of comfort and review them often.”
Facebook, FOSI's newest member, supports Data Privacy Day by encouraging all Facebook users to:
- Never share your Facebook password with anyone
- Remember that accepting a friend request has implications for your personal privacy, so use good judgment when accepting these requests
- Decide what level of visibility is right for you by customizing your privacy settings at Facebook.com/privacy
- Use Facebook’s Publisher Privacy Controls, which allow you to choose who can see each post you create
- Distinguish between information that is appropriate to share with close friends and family, and ideas and opinions that you wish to share more broadly. Just as you would tell a friend about your upcoming vacation plans but wouldn’t share your itinerary with a stranger, so you can - and should - use the same common sense on Facebook
About FOSI
The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods that also respect free speech. FOSI’s members include: AOL, AT&T, Blue Coat Systems, BT Retail, Comcast, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Kingston Communications, Loopt, Microsoft, MySpace, NCTA, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, Privo, RuleSpace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Telefónica, TELMEX, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon, Yahoo. FOSI hosts an annual international conference to bring together Internet safety advocates from a variety of sectors, including global corporations, government, non-profits, academia and the media, to discuss the current pulse of online safety and emerging solutions that will enhance it. For more information, please visit www.fosi.org.
About Facebook
Founded in February 2004, Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. Anyone can sign up for Facebook and interact with the people they know in a trusted environment. Facebook is a privately held company and is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif.
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