What I heard at the T&S Summit in London

I'm Alice Hunsberger. Trust & Safety Insider is my weekly rundown on the topics, industry trends and workplace strategies that Trust & Safety professionals need to know about to do their job.

Apologies for getting this newsletter out a day later than usual. I arrived home from London super exhausted (why can I never get a good night’s sleep in a hotel?!) and then was woken up with my dog throwing up on Sunday morning (she’s fine) and my son throwing up on Monday morning (strep throat!). Needless to say, it’s taking me a bit longer than usual to get back into the swing of things.

Get in touch if you'd like your questions answered — hi@alicelinks.com — or just want to share your feedback on today's edition.

Here we go! — Alice

Today’s edition is in partnership with Safer by Thorn, a purpose-built CSAM and CSE solution

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London calling

The Trust & Safety Summit — the UK’s relatively new entry in the online safety conference scene — was my first time attending a T&S event outside of the US. So it was a great opportunity for me to see how the conversations, priorities, and regulatory frameworks differ across the Atlantic.

A couple of broad reflections, in no particular order, in case you’re planning to go next year:

• The conference was much smaller than TrustCon with a few hundred folks, but it seemed like almost everyone was very senior; this was a notable difference from TrustCon, where folks are typically from all levels. 
• Most of the panels and discussions at the Summit didn’t feel particularly geared towards a British or European perspective, although there were a couple (such as Ofcom’s presentation on child safety regulation). I was a little disappointed by this; I hoped that I’d come away with a deeper understanding of how people outside the US are feeling right now, even if the conference wasn’t specifically designed for that purpose.
• Interestingly, there were a lot of attendees from the US, many of whom I know well and see at the US events. I’m sure if was nice for EU-based T&S folks to have Americans come to them for once! 

I also went to two great side events: Marked as Urgent (check out the photos) & Checkstep' Trust and Safety in Gaming Breakfast, and these more intimate get-togethers were both a huge highlight for me. As always, it was incredible to chat with Trust & Safety folks in person.

Across the three events during my time in London, lots of the conversations came back to one of the following six themes:

The importance of storytelling

In at least three different panels and talks I heard leaders discuss their take on storytelling to position T&S in the right way. Approaches ranged from quick catch phrases to hook CEOs and other teams; creating a mission and vision for T&S that’s linked to corporate vision statements; and using storytelling as a way to reach users where they are. 

AI is still dominant 

As T&S Insider readers may remember, I work for an AI T&S solutions company now, so it makes sense that so many of my conversations revolved around AI. But, regardless of that, it was still a strong theme and I don’t expect this to change any time soon. 

It was interesting to see how quickly conversations were shifting from “AI is going to change everything” (the theme just six months ago) to “here’s how AI is changing things, and what we’re doing” (both with dangers from AI-generated content and using AI tools for good). Technology really moves so fast. 

These are uncertain times

Many people mentioned in various ways how Trust & Safety principles help to protect human rights, privacy, and communication during a time when these values are needed more than ever. 

That said, it also seems like many people feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, where corporate interests are still a major influence on what is prioritised in T&S, and where it’s still unclear how regulatory measures will affect the industry. 

More than VLOPs

While there were a couple of large platforms in attendance, the vast majority of platforms represented at the T&S Summit were small and medium-sized. It was refreshing to hear from leaders of these platforms talking frankly and openly about the unique issues that come with running a small platform and how difficult it is to do everything with a small team. As someone who worked for one, it's important for regulators, in particular, to remember that we’re not all Meta.

Compliance doubts

There was a lot of discussion about the recently rolled out Online Safety Act (EiM #268) at the Marked as Urgent event (I think that the free drinks, casual vibes and Chatham House rules helped people be a little more open than they might normally be!).

Several people made the point that UK and EU regulation was the key to holding tech companies accountable and invested in T&S, yet they were unsure if the regulators could follow through on ensuring compliance. We'll see.

Grab a paddle and get rowing

It’s not enough to just be reactive with T&S (although if you’re going to be, here’s my advice). We need to be embedded with every department and at every point in a user’s lifecycle on a platform, especially during hypergrowth stages. 

Matt Soeth from Thriving in Games Group had a great analogy for this about whitewater rafting and I heard this from multiple leaders in different ways. This was especially interesting in combination with the representation from small platforms — a key to success is making sure that safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Also worth reading

Content moderation is what a 21st century hazardous job looks like (Equal Times)
Why? I'd love to see more transparency and set industry standards for working conditions of content moderators– both at BPOs, but also for in-house moderators. I do believe a lot of people are doing their best to take care of moderators, but it's a really complex situation, and one where industry collaboration could really help.

An inside look at the location data industry and suggestions for reform (Expand Mapping)
Why? This was written by my cousin, Mike Morrow, who worked for a location data broker for a while and realized how sketchy the industry is. Here he writes an incredibly detailed insider's view on how it all really works and what reform should look like.

The Newsie Project
Why? A project by a friend of mine who uses AI to summarize daily news topics and analyze how different newspapers cover it. A helpful resource for anyone who needs to know breaking news for work and wants a comprehensive view.

How LGBTQ content could become illegal (Jeremy Malcom)
"I unpack three tactics that could underpin an LGBTQ+ content ban—two already in motion, one looming on the horizon. I’ll make the case that anyone who values internet freedom and LGBTQ+ rights must act now to counter these attacks before they lock us out of a free web. I’ll share how I’m fighting back, and I invite you to join me—whether by speaking out, coding solutions, or amplifying this fight."

And here are three pieces on misinformation and healthcare that all came out around the same time. We need trusted sources of information more than ever, but between amateur influencers, AI, and doctors who don't have a lot of time for patients, it's hard to get reliable advice when you're most vulnerable and really need it.

• Addressing Misinformation in Labor and Delivery (Integrity Institute)
• TikTok is full of ADHD advice – just don't trust it for a diagnosis (NPR)
• Understanding the risks of AI Hallucinations in Medicine (Trustible)