Noteworthy: The Internet Safety Technical Task Force

Folks who have been following the online safety debates know that the Attorneys General and MySpace agreed to work together and with other relevant social actors to develop a Joint Statement on Key Principles of Social Networking Safety. Not surprisingly, they wanted a “neutral” party to lead this endeavor. Guess what? John Palfrey (executive director of the Berkman Center), Dena Sacco (former federal prosecutor in child exploitation cases) and I (the lovable author here) have agreed to co-direct the “Internet Safety Technical Task Force.” Our mandate is to develop recommendations for approaching online safety. The Task Force will bring together a variety of different organizations with different stakes to work out the best approach. Some of the tech companies involved include: MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, Bebo, AOL, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Google, Linden Lab, Loopt, AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. The Task Force also includes the Attorneys General, organizations dedicated to online safety or children’s safety, and various vendors.

apophenia: The Internet Safety Technical Task Force

Considering this is something a few of us have been trying to put together in a snail-like pace, it’s great to see such influential people getting the job done.

I love to see people with strength tackle these things– but I also like to see voices from people within the industry.  So often the people talking about online safety are not necessarily the people working the front lines day in and day out.   What about the folks who see the problems and have to deal hands on with the issues– not as lofty goals, but as customer service & best for all parties & protecting the audience within the game. 

I was at the California Safety Summit this week, albeit not in entirety.  I was a little disappointed that a conference based around internet-existence didn’t have internet available in the conference room.  Strange.  Plus– with all these resources on the panels, I would have LOVED the chance to ask questions. 

Most panels kinda just skimmed by the meaty parts of discussion.  Kind of alluding to problems, without actually getting elbow-deep into them. 

Larry Magid, from Connectsafely.org was there with a panel of kids & internet-specific reports.  They were AMAZING.  The tween/teen angels (kids who spoken on the panel) were eloquent & knowledgable.  Although, I have to say, I approached a few during the intermission and asked them what they’re favorite virtual worlds were– they just blinked at me.  They’re myspace specific.  Strange.  I should have asked them what they thought about places like youtube– because that mighty eye of mordor stays fixated (and in some cases, rightly so) on facebook/myspace/bebo (and after reading the forums at BlogSafely, I understand why.  But– that youtube privacy is coming soon like a tidal wave of insanity, I assure you.

There was a woman (Jane Horvath) who represented Google on the second panel Emerging Technology and Our New World.  I was itching & antsy to ask about Google’s safety with youth considering most of the conversations surrounded person privacy & risk (Metlife & World Privacy Forum were the other two panelists).  Google barely said anything other than “we’re trying new things”.  Again– I wanted to ask about how they’re ensuring gmail using youth are in fact OLD enough to use such things as flickr (phones) & dodgeball (social real world tracking via gps on phones), because as is– they don’t double check, and I’ve logged into both programs with a U13 identity.  Boo. 

I wish I could have stayed longer because I was eager to see Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media talk about Education & Raising kids online.  I saw him speak at UCLA a few months back for a Common Sense Media conference - he had a very interesting panel then. 

But again, it’s VERY rare that you actually see the people who are wholly responsible for the well-being of site-users speak.  I’m pumped for SXSW this weekend.  Jennifer Pluckett from Disney is speaking on a panel, and she’s the Senior Community Manager from Disney (Pirates Online, and such).  I adore the ground she walks on– so you better believe I’ll be in that audience.

I do believe– if you want to get to the heart of what kids are REALLY doing online– talk to a community manager.  Kids say a whole lot– they’ll tell you everything they think you want to hear… and most of the time its directly opposite of what they’re actually doing online, and how the community reacts to it on the back end.

Can you tell I’m getting antsy to work with kids again?  It’s been a couple months now since I’ve done actual moderating and I’m truly missing that aspect of the job.  Good thing I love 6DG, and look forward to the unique audience we’re going to collect.  Woot.  Oh, Stealth, is so secretive & fun.

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Tags: sixdegrees games, youth, virtual worlds, technology, internet safety, online safety, safety, education, parents, children, kids, tweens, teens, social networking, online communities, moderators, sxsw