Stephen Balkam is an American writer, policy advocate, and nonprofit leader. Balkam is the founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI).FOSI "Stephen Balkam Chief Executive Officer Family Online Safety Institute" Retrieved June 29, 2010. 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 Culture of Responsibility in the online world.Family Online Safety Institute . Retrieved June 29. 2010.

Balkam sits on the Facebook Safety Advisory Board,Facebook "Facebook to Enhance User Safety Through Formation of Global Advisory Board" . Retrieved June 29, 2010. the Snap Safety Advisory Board, a member of the Future of Privacy Advisory Board, Twitter's Trust and Safety Council and the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC).Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus "Members and Supporters" . Retrieved June 29, 2010. Balkam is a moderator of the Aspen Institute's Socrates Program and has led seminars in Aspen, CO as well as in Spain, Serbia and Japan.

Education Balkam received a BA, magna cum laude, in psychology from Cardiff University in Wales in 1977. A native of Washington, D.C., he spent many years in the UK and now has dual citizenship.

Career Balkam was the founder and CEO of the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA)Family Online Safety Institute "ICRA Tools" . Retrieved June 29, 2010. and led a team which developed the world’s leading content labeling system on the web. While with ICRA, he served on the US Child Online Protection Commission (COPA Commission),COPA Commission "FAQ on the COPA Commission" . Retrieved June 29, 2010. a congressionally appointed panel mandated by the Child Online Protection Act that was approved by Congress in October 1998.Cornell Law School "47 U.S.C. 231" . Retrieved June 30, 2010. The primary purpose of the Commission was to "identify technological or other methods that will help reduce access by minors to material that is harmful to minors on the Internet."COPA Commission "Welcome to COPACommission.org" . Retrieved June 30, 2010.

In 1994, Balkam was named the first Executive Director of the Recreational Software Advisory CouncilW3C "Recreational Software Advisory Council Launches Objective, Content-Rating Advisory System for the Internet"(Feb. 28, 1996). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. which created a unique self-labeling system for computer games and in 1996 launched RSACi – a forerunner to the ICRA website labeling system.. Retrieved June 30, 2010. Balkam was invited as a representative of the RSAC to the first and subsequent White House Internet Summits during the Clinton Administration."Participants at the Internet Online Summit". Retrieved June 30, 2010.

In 2008 Balkam, was invited to join the Internet Safety Technical Task Force headed by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. The task force was " leading Internet businesses and organizations", and focused on "identifying effective online safety tools and technologies that can be used by many companies across multiple platforms".Berkman Center "The Berkman Center Announces Formation of Internet Safety Task Force to Identify and Develop Online Safety Tools" (Feb. 28, 2008) . Retrieved July 2, 2010. The final report, "Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies", was released on January 14, 2009.Thierer, Adam The Technology Liberation Front "Internet Safety Technology Task Force releases final report" (Jan. 14, 2009) . Retrieved July 2, 2010.Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies Final Report (Dec. 31, 2008) . Retrieved July 2, 2010. Balkam was also a member of Point Smart, Click Safe,"Point Smart Click Safe Task Force Members" . Retrieved July 2, 2010. a coalition of tech companies and child advocacy groups which originally convened in June 2008Point Smart, Click Safe "What is Point Smart, Click Safe" . Retrieved July 2, 2010. and released a report in July 2009 encouraging industry self-regulation and education efforts rather than legislation as the best way to keep children safe online.Point Smart Click Safe "Preface and Overview" . Retrieved July 2, 2010.Corbin, Kenneth Internet News "Google, Verizon, Others in New Child Safety Push" (July 8, 2009) . Retrieved July 2, 2010.

Balkam’s other positions include the Executive Director of the National Stepfamily Association (UK);Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus "Stephen Balkam" . Retrieved June 30, 2010. General Secretary of the Islington Voluntary Action Council;Islington Voluntary Action Council . Retrieved June 30, 2010. Executive Director of Camden Community Transport as well as management positions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London) . Retrieved June 30, 2010. and Inter-Action. Balkam’s first job was with Burroughs Machines (now Unisys)Unisys: A Worldwide Information Technology Company . Retrieved June 30, 2010. and he worked briefly for West Nally Ltd, a sports sponsorship PR company.

In The Press Balkam writes regularly for the Huffington Post,The Huffington Post "Stephen Balkam" . Retrieved June 30, 2010. has appeared on nationally syndicated TV and radio programs such as MSNBC,YouTube "Stephen Balkam on MSNBC" (Jan. 7, 2009). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. CBS,YouTube "Las Vegas 4:00 News with Stephen Balkam" (Apr. 3, 2009). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. NPRYouTube "Stephen Balkam on NPR's On the Media" (Jan. 26, 2009). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. and the BBCReid, David BBC News "Providing a Safety Net for the Web" (Feb. 8, 2008). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. and has been interviewed in the mainstream press, including leading newspapers such as the Washington Post,Alexander, Andrew. The Washington Post "A KidsPost Opening for Predators?” (Oct. 11, 2009). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. New York Times,Brustein, Joshua. The New York Times "For Children, A Social Network with Training Wheels” (May 18, 2010). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian.Brown, Maggie. The Guardian "Will the Net Widen to Protect Children Online?" (Nov. 16, 2009). . Retrieved June 30, 2010. Balkam has given presentations and spoken in over 20 countries on 4 continents.

Honors For his efforts in online safety with the RSAC, he was awarded the 1998 Carl Bertelsmann Prize in Gutersloh, Germany, for innovation and responsibility in the Information Society.Bertelsmann-Stiftung: Carl Bertelsmann Prize "1998 Carl Bertelsmann Prize: Communication Coordinates 2000 - Innovation and Responsibility in an Information Society". Retrieved June 30, 2010.

In 2000, Balkam was named one of the Top 50 UK Movers and Shakers by Internet Magazine.Wikipedia "Internet Magazine" . Retrieved June 30, 2010.

References

External links Welcome Family Online Safety Institute