Family Online Safety Institute Supports PointSmart.ClickSafe.Task Force Recommendations

Washington DC – July 8, 2009 - Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), today made the following statement in support of the new PointSmart.ClickSafe. report, Task Force Recommendations for Best Practices for Online Safety and Literacy:

“The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) strongly supports the recommendations from the PointSmart.ClickSafe. Task Force and its emphasis on research, education and evaluation of existing online safety methods. Kids today are increasingly tech savvy. It is vital that we help them develop digital media literacy skills and guide them how to use technology in a safe and responsible way. At FOSI, we are working with various stakeholders to build a culture of responsibility online and this report will add impetus for a cohesive and collaborative approach to not only keep kids safe, but also to encourage personal resiliency and responsibility for their online actions.” Read the report & learn more

About FOSI

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safe 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, BT Retail, Comcast, Computing Technology Industry Association, France Telecom/Orange, Google, GSMA, Loopt, Microsoft, MySpace, Ning, Nominum, Optenet, Privo, Rulespace, Sprint, StreamShield, Symantec, Telefónica, Telmex, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and 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 on FOSI, please www.fosi.org or www.youtube.com/fosi.