The top trust and safety events to attend in 2024

The best content moderation service is like the most skilled stage crew in a theater production: it goes unnoticed. What do we mean by that? Well, when content moderation is running effectively, it should be invisible to the user. An engaged audience having a safe and seamless experience is the hallmark of a good content moderation team at work behind the scenes, tirelessly sifting through UGC to protect users from harm without ever drawing attention to themselves.

Yet, despite the often unseen nature of our work, we also believe that it’s important for those of us in the content moderation industry to step out from behind our screens and connect with our peers. Meeting face-to-face allows us to share the challenges we face, celebrate our successes, and exchange notes. We’re talking about getting out to the growing roster of trust and safety events.

“Events like these pose a unique opportunity to facilitate discourse among stakeholders and shape best practices,” says Alexandra Popken, WebPurify’s VP of Trust & Safety.

Alex adds that some of the industry-specific events can also give practitioners key insights into specific product trends and corresponding trust and safety concerns, while broader safety-focused events empower companies like WebPurify to share our expertise and learn from others in the space.

“At WebPurify, we believe that transparency is key to advancing trust and safety across the industry, and the only way this can happen is by bringing people together, breaking down barriers, generating ideas, and freely discussing solutions,” Alex says.

Below, we highlight our favorite industry events – the conferences and summits where all the unsung heroes of the internet can find a community, inspiration, and a rich exchange of ideas that are as rewarding as they are essential to our collective mission.

General Trust & Safety

TrustCon

Dates: July 22-24
Location: San Francisco, CA

TrustCon is the preeminent Trust and Safety conference, uniting industry leaders, academics, civil society, and media from around the globe. This annual event serves as a pivotal platform for sharing cutting-edge research, discussing emerging challenges, and exploring collaborative solutions in trust and safety.

Attendees can expect a dynamic agenda featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, all aimed at forging stronger, safer online communities.

“I always look forward to TrustCon, which is the conference dedicated to trust and safety professionals,” Alex says. “Having worked in the industry for over a decade, I have many friends and former colleagues in the space and it feels like a reunion for many of us. On top of that, the content is diverse and excellent — I always learn a lot — and the atmosphere is warm and inviting to platforms and service providers alike.”

It’s also worth noting that the Trust & Safety Professional Association, which hosts TrustCon, also hosts summits in Europe and Asia. There’s a TSPA EMEA Summit in Dublin, Ireland on May 17, and there is likely to be another TSPA APAC Summit in Singapore sometime later in 2024.

Marketplace Risk

Dates: May 14-16 (San Francisco); November 12-14 (London)
Location: San Francisco, CA; London, UK

The Marketplace Risk Management Conference is one of the largest gatherings of its kind, drawing professionals from various sectors, including e-commerce, fintech, sharing economy platforms, and gig economy stakeholders, to address the unique challenges and opportunities in managing risk in digital marketplaces.

Attendees can look forward to a comprehensive program featuring industry-leading speakers, interactive workshops, and networking sessions designed to share best practices, innovative solutions, and strategies for building safer, more resilient online marketplaces.

Trust & Safety Research

Dates: TBA
Location: Stanford University

Hosted by Stanford University, the Trust & Safety Research Conference is at the forefront of academic and industry collaboration, focusing on the prevention of online harms. This event showcases leading research in the field of online safety, drawing together experts from academia, technology companies, and policy circles.

Participants will engage with the latest findings, methodologies, and discussions on how to effectively combat online risks, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based solutions and policy implications. What we like about this conference is that it provides a unique opportunity for scholars and practitioners to exchange knowledge and explore innovative approaches to making the internet a safer space for all.

Trust & Safety Summit UK

Dates: March 13-14
Location: London, United Kingdom

Though it’s hosted in the UK, the Trust & Safety Summit UK is global in scope and is a pivotal gathering for anyone working in trust and safety. This summit aims to foster dialogue and collaboration among industry leaders, policymakers, technologists, and researchers. The event features a rich program of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions that cover a wide range of topics, from combating online abuse and fraud to implementing effective content moderation strategies and promoting digital wellbeing.

Child & Family Safety

Crimes Against Children

Dates: August 11-15
Location: Dallas, TX

The Crimes Against Children Conference is an important event dedicated to addressing the urgent issue of child exploitation and online safety. It brings together professionals from law enforcement, child protection agencies, and advocacy groups to share knowledge, strategies, and technologies aimed at preventing crimes against children.

The conference offers workshops, keynote addresses, and training sessions designed to equip participants with the latest tools and methods for safeguarding children online.

Family Online Safety Institute

Dates: TBA
Location: Washington, DC

This is another great trust and safety event designed with children and families in mind. We attended the Family Online Safety Institute Conference last year and appreciated its diverse mix of policymakers, industry leaders, educators, and parents all providing their unique perspective on promoting digital wellbeing and effective internet safety practices.

Brand Safety in Digital Advertising

Brand Safety Summit

Dates: October 29-30 (NYC); April 30 – May 1 (London); March 21 (Singapore)
Location: New York City; London; Singapore

The global Brand Safety Summit is an essential trust and safety event for advertisers, publishers, and technology providers alike. Hosted in New York, London and Singapore throughout the year, the summit addresses the latest challenges – and solutions – in protecting brand reputations online, covering topics such as ad fraud, moderation around branded content, and ethical advertising practices. You can expect insightful discussions, in-depth case studies, and plenty of excellent networking opportunities.

Cybersecurity

Global Anti-Scam Summit

Dates: June 24-25 (Brussels); September TBA (Washington, DC); November TBA (Singapore)
Location: Brussels, Belgium; Washington, DC; Singapore

The Global Anti-Scam Summit tackles the ever-present threat of online scams and fraud, bringing together cybersecurity experts, law enforcement, and financial institutions. Like the Brand Safety Summit, it offers opportunities throughout the year in Brussels, Singapore and Washington, DC, where you’ll get to hear about current best practices in detecting, preventing, and responding to online scams. What we like about this event is that it provides a strong focus on protecting both consumers and businesses alike.

RSA Conference

Dates: May 6-9
Location: San Francisco, CA

The RSA Conference is one of the leading global cybersecurity events and should be on everyone’s list in an age when cybersecurity and the prevalence of online scams are so pervasive. The conference offers a comprehensive platform for cybersecurity professionals to engage in dialogue, access cutting-edge knowledge, and network with peers. You’ll also find a wide array of sessions on the latest security trends, threats, strategies, and technologies.

Artificial Intelligence

Voice & AI

Dates: October 28-30
Location: Arlington, VA

The Voice & AI Conference is a pioneering event dedicated to the exploration and advancement of voice technology and artificial intelligence. This year the conference will feature the likes of Google, OpenAI, Nvidia and many more industry leaders, developers, researchers, and innovators.

Participants can look forward to learning the latest trends and research, panel discussions, and interactive workshops focused on the impact of AI and voice technology on various sectors, including healthcare, business, entertainment, and more. With AI becoming such a mainstay in our lives – for better and for worse – this is an event that will take on much greater significance in the coming years.

CogX

Dates: May 7-8 (LA); October 7 (London)
Location: Los Angeles, CA; London, UK

CogX Festival is another interesting event that stands at the intersection of AI, technology, and society, exploring the latest advancements and ethical considerations in artificial intelligence and cognitive technologies. Hosted in LA and London, the event attracts a diverse audience of industry thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, and researchers, offering a dynamic mix of talks, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to spark dialogue and greater collaboration on the future of AI.

Human Rights

RightsCon

Dates: February 2025 TBA
Location: South Korea & Online

RightsCon is the world’s preeminent conference on human rights in the digital age, focusing on the nexus of technology, freedom, and privacy. It draws a diverse group of activists, business leaders, policymakers, and technologists with the aim of debating and tackling pressing issues such as internet censorship, surveillance, digital inclusion, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies.

In conclusion

It’s trust and safety events like these that drive our industry forward and ensure a fresh flow of ideas and information.

“We – service providers, platforms, academia, government and civil society – collectively care about technology, the challenges created by and facing technology and its users, and we’re better off as a society when there is candid discourse and collaboration,” Alex says.