Berkman Center Announces Request for Technical Submissions Related to Child Safety on the Internet

Cambridge, MA – The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University today formally announced a Request for Technical Submissions as part of the work of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force.

The Task Force, comprised of leading Internet businesses and organizations, is focused on identifying effective online safety tools and technologies that can be used by companies and individuals across multiple platforms.  The Request for Technical Submissions asks companies, non-profits, and individuals with technologies relevant to child safety online to submit a detailed description that will enable a thorough review by the Task Force’s Technology Advisory Board. 

Submission instructions are available on the Technology Advisory Board web page (http://cyber.harvard.edu/research/isttf/TAB). Submissions must be received by July 21, 2008.

“We are excited to announce this next phase of the work of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force. We hope to receive many submissions, from companies and inventors large and small,” said John Palfrey, executive director of the Berkman Center and director of the Task Force. “We are looking for technical solutions that can have impact right now as well as tools that show future promise.” 

The Technology Advisory Board will formally review submissions related to filtering, blocking, parental controls, labeling, rating, identification, authentication, age verification, imaging, search and forensics.  It will present its evaluations in the final report of the Internet Safety Task Force, due out in late 2008.

Members of the  Technology Advisory Board include technical experts in security, safety, imaging and forensics.

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About the Berkman Center for Internet & Society: The Berkman Center for Internet & Society is proud to celebrate its tenth year as a research program founded to explore cyberspace, share in its study and help pioneer its development. Founded in 1997, through a generous gift from Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman, the Center is now home to an ever-growing community of faculty, fellows, staff and affiliates working on projects that span the broad range of intersections between cyberspace, technology and society. More information can be found at http://cyber.harvard.eduand http://www.berkmanat10.org.

About the Internet Safety Technical Task Force:The Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) is a group of Internet businesses, non-profit organizations, academics and technology companies that have joined together to identify effective tools and technologies to create a safer environment on the Internet for youth. It was created in February 2008 in accordance with the Joint Statement on Key Principles of Social Networking Safety announced by the Attorneys General Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking and MySpace in January 2008. The Task Force issues quarterly reports to the Attorneys General and will release a Final Report on December 31, 2008. More information is available at  http://cyber.harvard.edu/research/isttf.

Contact:
Jessica Tatlock
Coordinator, Internet Safety Technical Task Force
617-384-9129
jtatlock@cyber.harvard.edu