Family Online Safety Institute
Encyclopedia
The Family Online Safety Institute, or FOSI, is an international nonprofit organization. It is registered as a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity
in the United States
and a registered charity in the United Kingdom
. FOSI was founded in February 2007 by Stephen Balkam
, who previously created the Internet Content Rating Association
(ICRA). FOSI is chaired by Natasha Jackson, head of content policy for the GSM Association
.
to FOSI. In turn FOSI uses this funding for its general operation and to further its goals and mission. Each of the FOSI members have a representative on the Board of Directors
.
Full members of FOSI include prominent American and British companies. Members include
AOL
,
AT&T
,
Boodoo,
Cisco
,
Comcast
,
Fox Interactive Media
(Parent company of Myspace
),
Facebook
,
France Telecom
,
Entertainment Software Association
,
GSM Association
,
Google
,
Loopt
Microsoft
,
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
,
Nominum,
Optenet
KCOM Group
,
Rulespace,
Sprint
,
Streamshield,
Symantec
,
Telefonica
,
Telmex
,
Time Warner Cable
,
The Wireless Foundation,
Verizon, and
Yahoo!
.
FOSI believes that parents and schools need to protect children from the potential dangers on the Internet, keeping them safe from harm - which FOSI believes is a fundamental right. These rights include protection from physical, psychological, or reputational harm, in addition to the rights of privacy, free speech and freedom of expression.
In addition to these liberties, FOSI would like to see six layers of society accept new responsibilities. FOSI's recommendations include:
in Washington, D.C. The conference was covered by C-SPAN
. Over 200 attendees joined together to raise awareness about the challenges facing our society to keep children safe in the new digital world. The participants paid particular attention to currently evolving solutions to online safety issues.
Notable speakers included Google Vice President
and Chief Internal Evangelist Vint Cerf
, U.S. Ambassador David Gross
, Federal Communications Commission
Commissioner Deborah Tate
and Federal Trade Commission
Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras
.
Sponsors for the Conference include Verizon, AT&T, GSMA, RuleSpace, Crisp Thinking, Symantec, Google, Blue Coat, Comcast, CTIA, Microsoft, CompTIA, AOL and InternetSafety.com.
in Washington, DC on December 11, 2008. At the conference, FOSI made a series of recommendations for the new Obama Administration and called for:
The conference included over 300 attendees from 4 continents, 11 countries, and featured 60 speakers on 11 expert panels and 22 exhibitors.
(ICRA) and its day-to-day operations. ICRA developed and implemented a content labeling system that allows webmasters to clearly and accurately label their websites. These labels identify content in accordance with criteria developed by an independent third party. In accordance with FOSI goals, ICRA does not serve to rate the content of websites. ICRA provides the labeling system and encourages content providers to self-rate.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a registered charity in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. FOSI was founded in February 2007 by Stephen Balkam
Stephen Balkam
Stephen Balkam is the founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute , FOSI's mission is to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes the top thinkers and practitioners in government, industry and the nonprofit sectors to collaborate, innovate and create a...
, who previously created the Internet Content Rating Association
Internet Content Rating Association
Internet Content Rating Association was an international non-profit organization with offices in the United States and the United Kingdom...
(ICRA). FOSI is chaired by Natasha Jackson, head of content policy for the GSM Association
GSM Association
The GSM Association is an association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to supporting the standardizing, deployment and promotion of the GSM mobile telephone system...
.
Membership
The Family Online Safety Institute is a membership-based organization, members pay an annual stipendStipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
to FOSI. In turn FOSI uses this funding for its general operation and to further its goals and mission. Each of the FOSI members have a representative on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
.
Full members of FOSI include prominent American and British companies. Members include
AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
,
AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
,
Boodoo,
Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
,
Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
,
Fox Interactive Media
Fox Interactive Media
News Corporation's Digital Media Group , also known as News Corp. Digital Media and formerly Fox Interactive Media, oversees the Internet business operations of media giant News Corporation, and was formed to oversee News Corporation's new media acquisitions, including IGN Entertainment, MySpace...
(Parent company of Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
),
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
,
France Telecom
France Télécom
France Telecom S.A. is the main telecommunications company in France, the third-largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It currently employs about 180,000 people and has 192.7 million customers worldwide . In 2010 the group had revenue of €45.5 billion...
,
Entertainment Software Association
Entertainment Software Association
The Entertainment Software Association is the trade association of the video game industry in the United States. It was formed in April 1994 as the Interactive Digital Software Association and renamed on July 16, 2003...
,
GSM Association
GSM Association
The GSM Association is an association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to supporting the standardizing, deployment and promotion of the GSM mobile telephone system...
,
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
,
Loopt
Loopt
Loopt is a company based in Mountain View, California, United States. Loopt produces mobile Location-based services that allow users to discover the world around them, and find and enjoy the friends, places and events around them....
Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
,
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable TV industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation’s cable households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers...
,
Nominum,
Optenet
Optenet
Optenet is a global security company that provides customers with a Multi-tenant Secure Web Gateway and an e-mail infrastructure solution primarily for carriers, managed security service providers and large enterprises.-History:...
KCOM Group
Kingston Communications
KCOM Group , formerly known as Kingston Communications, is a UK communications and IT services provider. Its headquarters is in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, where subsidiary business unit KC serves local residents and businesses with Internet and telephony services...
,
Rulespace,
Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
,
Streamshield,
Symantec
Symantec
Symantec Corporation is the largest maker of security software for computers. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 stock market index.-History:...
,
Telefonica
Telefónica
Telefónica, S.A. is a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America. Operating globally, it is the third largest provider in the world...
,
Telmex
Telmex
Telmex is a telecommunications company headquartered in Mexico City that provides telecommunication products and services in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and other countries in Latin America. In addition to traditional fixed-line telephone service, Telmex also offers Internet access, data,...
,
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
,
The Wireless Foundation,
Verizon, and
Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
.
Programs
FOSI's objective is to make the online world safer for children and their families. One of the primary ways it does this is with its annual conferences and other events that bring together the three major sectors involved in this mission: government, corporate, and nonprofit. FOSI hosts round tables discussions about progress in the field on online safety.Culture of Responsibility
One of FOSI's main initiatives is to create a "Culture of Responsibility" online; whereby different, but overlapping layers of society work in a coordinated effort, while ensuring that children have their fundamental rights protected online and increasing the various layers' responsibilities.FOSI believes that parents and schools need to protect children from the potential dangers on the Internet, keeping them safe from harm - which FOSI believes is a fundamental right. These rights include protection from physical, psychological, or reputational harm, in addition to the rights of privacy, free speech and freedom of expression.
In addition to these liberties, FOSI would like to see six layers of society accept new responsibilities. FOSI's recommendations include:
- Reasonable Government oversight to support, fund research, promote educational messages and craft reasonable laws.
- Enlightened law enforcement to deal with the highly sophisticated ways criminals exploit online weaknesses to take advantage of users' personal information.
- A self-regulated Internet industry that protects kids from the worst of the web, develops more stringent privacy controls and educates their consumers on how to stay safe on the Internet.
- Tech-savvy teachers who know how to use new and changing technology and also understand how to integrate it into their classrooms.
- Empowered parents who learn about social network sites, wireless, handheld devices, video game capabilities and other web 3.0 technologies and applications. Parents should also have a continuous conversation with their kids about what they are doing online and establish household rules.
- Resilient kids who learn who to make wise choices about the information they access and post online.
Digital and Media Literacy
FOSI encourages greater digital and media literacy programs to help create a safer Internet. Digital literacy meaning understanding the actual machines and technology that consumers use, such as the PC, laptop, gaming system, cell phone or wireless device. Media literacy means understanding how to use the content that flows through these machines.3 C's: Content, Contact, and Conduct
Part of FOSI's "Culture of Responsibility" is what they call the "3 C's". Society needs to help children make wise choices about the content they seek out and post online; about whom they contact and who they allow to contact them; and how they conduct themselves on the Internet. Children need to be empowered and encouraged to make better decisions so that their actions in the online world are similar to their actions in the offline world - a distinction, FOSI believes, children don't always make.2007
FOSI held its inaugural annual conference "Rights and Responsibility: Child Protection in a Web 2.0 World" on December 6, 2007 at the Ronald Reagan BuildingRonald Reagan Building
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, named after former United States President Ronald Reagan, is the first federal building in Washington, D.C. designed for both governmental and private sector purposes....
in Washington, D.C. The conference was covered by C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
. Over 200 attendees joined together to raise awareness about the challenges facing our society to keep children safe in the new digital world. The participants paid particular attention to currently evolving solutions to online safety issues.
Notable speakers included Google Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
and Chief Internal Evangelist Vint Cerf
Vint Cerf
Vinton Gray "Vint" Cerf is an American computer scientist, who is recognized as one of "the fathers of the Internet", sharing this title with American computer scientist Bob Kahn...
, U.S. Ambassador David Gross
David A. Gross
Ambassador David A. Gross is one of the world’s foremost experts on international telecommunications, having served for nearly eight years as the senior United States government official responsible for representing the U.S. on global telecommunications issues. During his lengthy tenure, he...
, Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
Commissioner Deborah Tate
Deborah Tate
Deborah Taylor Tate was a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission . She was nominated by President George W. Bush on 2005-11-09, for the remainder of the term expiring 2007-06-30. She was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on 2005-12-21, and sworn in as FCC...
and Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras
Deborah Platt Majoras
Deborah Platt Majoras is the former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, appointed May 11, 2004, by President George W. Bush and sworn in on August 16, 2004. President Bush had announced his intention to appoint her to the position on July 30, 2004...
.
Sponsors for the Conference include Verizon, AT&T, GSMA, RuleSpace, Crisp Thinking, Symantec, Google, Blue Coat, Comcast, CTIA, Microsoft, CompTIA, AOL and InternetSafety.com.
2008
FOSI's 2008 Annual Conference, "Safe at Any Speed: Online Safety Tools, Rules and Public Policies" was held at the NewseumNewseum
The Newseum is an interactive museum of news and journalism located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. The seven-level, museum features 15 theaters and 14 galleries. The Newseum's Berlin Wall Gallery includes the largest display of sections of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany...
in Washington, DC on December 11, 2008. At the conference, FOSI made a series of recommendations for the new Obama Administration and called for:
- An annual White House Online Safety Summit
- The creation of a United States Council for Internet Safety
- An Online Safety Program to fund a range of research, educational and awareness-raising projects
- A National Safety Officer within the new office of the Chief of Technology Officer (CTO) for the United States
The conference included over 300 attendees from 4 continents, 11 countries, and featured 60 speakers on 11 expert panels and 22 exhibitors.
2009
FOSI's 2009 Annual Conference, "Building a Culture of Responsibility: From Online Safety to Digital Citizenship," was held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC on November 4–5, 2009. The conference had 350 attendees, 80 speakers and 31 exhibitors from 15 countries. Technology writer and journalist, Larry Magid described the event as "a watershed moment in the 16-year history of online safety education."2007 Events
- The official United States launch of FOSI was held on February 13, 2007 at the Kaiser Family FoundationKaiser Family FoundationThe Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy...
in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The event drew attendees from the government, online industry, NGOs, academics, and think tankThink tankA think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
s. Some of the attendees included Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
Commissioner Deborah TateDeborah TateDeborah Taylor Tate was a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission . She was nominated by President George W. Bush on 2005-11-09, for the remainder of the term expiring 2007-06-30. She was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on 2005-12-21, and sworn in as FCC...
, Amanda Lenhart from Pew Internet and American Life Project (a division of the Pew Research CenterPew Research CenterThe Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
), and Adam Thierer from the Progress and Freedom FoundationProgress and Freedom FoundationThe Progress & Freedom Foundation was a U.S. market-oriented think tank based in Washington, D.C. that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy...
. The event included several welcome addresses and two roundtables, titled "The Chicken or the EggThe chicken or the eggThe Chicken or the egg causality dilemma is commonly stated as "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" To ancient philosophers, the question about the first chicken or egg also evoked the questions of how life and the universe in general began....
—Which comes first: technology or public policy?" and "Educating the Lost Generation: Reaching today's parents with relevant online safety messages". The roundtables were chaired by Thierer and Anne Collier of Net Family News respectively.
- The official European launch of FOSI was held on February 22, 2007 at the House of Commons in London. The event also drew attendees from the government, online industry, NGOs, academics, and think tanks. Home OfficeHome OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Minister Vernon CoakerVernon CoakerVernon Rodney Coaker is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Gedling since 1997; Coaker was appointed Minister of State for Schools and Learners in June 2009, a post he held until Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister on 11 May 2010...
gave a welcome speech at the event.
- On June 13, 2007, FOSI held a Mexican conference in Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, hosted by TelmexTelmexTelmex is a telecommunications company headquartered in Mexico City that provides telecommunication products and services in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and other countries in Latin America. In addition to traditional fixed-line telephone service, Telmex also offers Internet access, data,...
. MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's first lady Margarita ZavalaMargarita ZavalaMargarita Zavala is the wife of Mexican President Felipe Calderón. She was a PAN deputy in 2006 in the LIX Legislature of the Mexican Congress.- Early life and personal life :...
was among the speakers.
- On September 26, 2007, TelefonicaTelefónicaTelefónica, S.A. is a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America. Operating globally, it is the third largest provider in the world...
and FOSI co-hosted several educational training workshops titled "Interactive Generations: Growing Up In a Virtual World". The events drew participants from government, industry, NGOs, and others, who all discussed their views on new technology on children and family life. The workshops, which coincided with Telefonica becoming a member of FOSI, were hosted by Arturo Canalda, the Madrid Children's Rights Ombudsman.
2008 Events
- On March 20, 2008, the Berkman Center for Internet & SocietyBerkman Center for Internet & SocietyThe Berkman Center for Internet & Society is a research center at Harvard University that focuses on the study of cyberspace. Founded at Harvard Law School, the center traditionally focused on internet-related legal issues. On May 15, 2008, the Center was elevated to an interfaculty initiative of...
at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, and FOSI co-hosted the Washington, D.C. launch for Professor Jonathan ZittrainJonathan ZittrainJonathan L. Zittrain is a US professor of Internet law at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of computer science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and a faculty co-director of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society...
's book, "The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It" (ISBN 0300124872). Zittrain, a professor of Internet Law at both the Berkman Center and the Oxford Internet InstituteOxford Internet InstituteThe Oxford Internet Institute is a multi-disciplinary institute based at the University of Oxford, England, and housed in buildings owned by Balliol College, Oxford. It is devoted to the study of the societal implications of the Internet, with the aim of shaping research, policy and practice in...
at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
spoke to the over 100 attendees, which included representatives from government, NGO, and the corporate sector. Professor Larry LessigLawrence LessigLawrence "Larry" Lessig is an American academic and political activist. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright, trademark, and radio frequency spectrum, particularly in technology applications, and he has called for state-based activism to promote substantive...
of Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
also spoke to the group and Stephen Balkam of FOSI led the group in a question and answer session.
- On April 7, 2008, FOSI and the National Cable & Telecommunications AssociationNational Cable & Telecommunications AssociationThe National Cable & Telecommunications Association is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable TV industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation’s cable households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers...
(NCTA) hosted a special screening of the PBS Frontline Documentary 'Growing Up Online'. After the screening, 'Growing Up Online' producer Rachel Dretzin and Stephen Balkam took questions from the audience. Following the question and answer session, FOSI hosted a roundtable to discuss the state of online safety education.
- On June 12, 2008, FOSI and the Oxford Internet InstituteOxford Internet InstituteThe Oxford Internet Institute is a multi-disciplinary institute based at the University of Oxford, England, and housed in buildings owned by Balliol College, Oxford. It is devoted to the study of the societal implications of the Internet, with the aim of shaping research, policy and practice in...
cohosted a lecture and reception titled 'Beyond Byron—Towards a New Culture of Responsibility'. At this lecture, Dr. Tanya Byron and Professor John PalfreyJohn PalfreyJohn Palfrey is a faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, vice dean for library and information resources, and the Henry N. Ess III Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He led a reorganization of the Harvard Law School Library in 2009...
of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society spoke. Dr. Byron spoke about the Byron ReviewByron ReviewThe Byron Review was a report delivered on the 27 March 2008 to the UK Department for Children, Schools and Families. It was authored and overseen by Dr Tanya Byron....
, the report commissioned by Prime Minister of the United KingdomPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon BrownGordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
released on March 27, 2008.
- On June 13, 2008, FOSI and the Oxford Internet InstituteOxford Internet InstituteThe Oxford Internet Institute is a multi-disciplinary institute based at the University of Oxford, England, and housed in buildings owned by Balliol College, Oxford. It is devoted to the study of the societal implications of the Internet, with the aim of shaping research, policy and practice in...
cohosted a roundtable titled 'Educating RitaEducating RitaEducating Rita is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University lecturer....
2.0—Effective Methods and Messages in Online Safety Education'. This was the second part in FOSI's Online Safety Education Initiative roundtable series. Being held in the UK, it allowed FOSI to hear about the European and international perspective on online safety education. Dr. Tanya ByronTanya ByronTanya Byron is a British psychologist, writer and media personality, best known for her work as a child therapist on television shows Little Angels and The House of Tiny Tearaways...
opened the event. Notable panelists included Robin Blake, Media Literacy Manager of the Office of Communications (OfCom) in the UK and Claudine Menashe-Jones of the Childcare Division of the Department for Children, Schools and FamiliesDepartment for Children, Schools and FamiliesThe Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
of the British Government.
2009 Events
- FOSI Wireless Conference: hosted with CTIA on April 22, 2009, "Keeping Kids Safe in a Mobile Environment." The conference focused on the challenges kids face in a mobile online environment and the vital role education plays in keeping them safe. Topics included: "From Wired to Wireless: Challenges & Opportunities for Safety", "Research Update: What Kids Are Doing on Their Wireless Devices", "Technical, Privacy, and Legal Issues with Children's Safety", and "Tools for Parents: Strategies and Technologies for Wireless Kids".
- FOSI Inaugural International Conference "Global Digital Citizenship: Encouraging Safe and Responsible Online Use" was held in Paris on September 16, 2009 to emphasize the importance of safe and responsible online use. The one-day European Conference designed to bring together key industry figures, experts, government representatives and the wider stakeholder community, to discuss how to ensure a continued and successful international push for global digital citizenship and safe and responsible online use. Generously sponsored by AT&T and supported by France Telecom, it brought together the key voices in the international Internet stakeholder community. They looked at the Western world challenges that universal broadband coverage creates for the Internet industry and how corporate responsibility is evolving to meet them. Conference sessions explored the response of industry, government and charitable to the issues that less developed nations face as they try to provide internet access to their citizens. Sessions focused on digital citizenship, media literacy, privacy, technology solutions and their impact on internet safety, location-based serviceLocation-based serviceA Location-Based Service is an information or entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device....
s and wireless safety efforts, and safe online use in developing countries.
- Throughout 2009, FOSI held a series of round-table discussions hosted with the law firm, Womble Carlyle called "Wednesdays with Winston" that started a dialogue about what is happening at the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) and the Federal Trade CommissionFederal Trade CommissionThe Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
(FTC) with regard to online safety and privacy issues.
- Supported by AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, FOSI held a series of monthly online safety panels entitled "Online on Fridays" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC for legislators, staffers, educators, and industry representatives. Panels covered pressing online safety issues including sextingSextingSexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized in early 21st century, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with...
, legislating safety, and education.
2010 Events
- On May 27, 2010 FOSI held its second European Conference in Madrid, Spain titled, "Putting the Pieces Together: Building a Comprehensive Online Safety Plan". In attendance were approximately 250 people and 40 speakers from more than 12 countries; the conference was hosted by Telefonica and sponsored by AT&T, Rulespace and Nominum.
- Topics of discussion included:
- Online Responsibility and Safer ICT Use - Does the Self Regulatory Framework Promote 21st Century Citizenship?
- Taking Control of Your Data - Staying Safe while Social Networking, Micro-blogging & Photo Sharing
- TechTalk as aids to safety: What's Coming Down the Track?
- The Collaborative Efforts of Law Enforcement, Industry and Government in Online Child Protection
- How can we Better Promote the Safer Use of ICTs in Latin American Countries?
- Can Parents and Carers Supervise Everything Kids do Online?
- The New Breed of Location Services - Privacy and Safety Concerns for children and young people.
- Future Dialogue - Alliances and Partnerships to help Families Stay Safer.
- On April 26–28, 2010 FOSI hosted its first Gulf Conference in Manama, Bahrain. FOSI hosted the conference in partnership with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain; there were over 250 attendees from 15 countries. The goal of the conference was a national consensus in online safety and was the first of its kind in the Gulf region.
Internet Content Rating Association
In 2007, FOSI was created and subsumed the Internet Content Rating AssociationInternet Content Rating Association
Internet Content Rating Association was an international non-profit organization with offices in the United States and the United Kingdom...
(ICRA) and its day-to-day operations. ICRA developed and implemented a content labeling system that allows webmasters to clearly and accurately label their websites. These labels identify content in accordance with criteria developed by an independent third party. In accordance with FOSI goals, ICRA does not serve to rate the content of websites. ICRA provides the labeling system and encourages content providers to self-rate.