SAN DIEGO, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Internet Safety Labs, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent software product safety testing, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Internet Society Foundation to further its critical work in enhancing the safety and privacy of children’s data. This funding will support the organization’s latest initiative, “Measuring Safety Risks in Kids’ Apps Part III: Privacy and Dark Patterns.” This is the third grant received by Internet Safety Labs (ISL) from the Internet Society (ISOC) Foundation.
The new report will focus on advancing research and developing auditing techniques to uncover and address:
- “Dark” or “Deceptive” user interface (UI) patterns designed to manipulate children within apps, including patterns that foster addiction.
- Observable app security risks that threaten the safety of kids’ digital experiences.
- Privacy risks by enhancing the existing safety labels to include more details of what data is being collected and who it’s being shared with.
“This grant represents ongoing and strong support for our work of holding the tech industry accountable through transparency,” said Lisa LeVasseur, executive director of Internet Safety Labs. “Surgeon General Murthy highlighted last year the need to better label the innate risks in social media apps. Funds from the ISOC Foundation will allow us to provide just such a label.”
Support from the ISOC Foundation has been instrumental in ISL’s previous accomplishments within the realm of K-12 edtech safety. This includes the 2023 launch of its App Microscope safety labels, a groundbreaking free resource designed to help people understand the potential risks of mobile apps used in schools, and the release of its “2022 K-12 Edtech Safety Benchmark – Part 1, 2, and 3.” The initial report made headlines for its findings that nearly all school apps (96%) share children’s personal information with third parties, 78% of the time with advertising or monetization entities.
“We are proud to continue partnering with Internet Safety Labs to improve child safety and privacy online,” said Maiko Nakagaki, senior program officer at ISOC Foundation. “ISL’s efforts underscore our shared goal to ensure that the Internet is open, connected, secure and trustworthy for all.”
Internet Safety Labs invites experts, business leaders and individuals interested in advancing standards for software product safety and ethical Internet practices to visit its website to learn more about how to work with ISL.
About Internet Safety Labs
Internet Safety Labs (ISL) is the world’s first independent product safety tester for digital technology. Through rigorous safety audits of websites and mobile apps, we identify and document invisible safety risks that impact millions of users. Our comprehensive open safety standards and automated testing infrastructure enable systematic evaluation of data privacy, harmful user interfaces, and policy transparency. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we empower consumers with standardized safety labels while providing regulators and policymakers with evidence to drive meaningful industry change. We’re creating a more trustworthy digital world by establishing precedent for independent oversight and accountability. For more information, visit https://internetsafetylabs.org/.
About The Internet Society Foundation:
The Internet Society Foundation exists to support the positive difference the Internet can make to people everywhere. It promotes the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure, a resource to enrich people’s lives, and a force for good in society.
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