Trust & Safety Festival Sydney 2026
Description
Trust & Safety Festival Sydney 2026 brings together the people shaping safer, more accountable and more trustworthy digital systems.
Standard registration: $399 + GST
Across two days, the Festival will connect practitioners, policymakers, regulators, researchers, technologists, lawyers, civil society leaders and frontline experts working across trust and safety, online safety, AI governance, privacy, cybersecurity, digital rights and platform accountability.
The Festival’s central theme is moving from regulation to real-world problems. We’ll go beyond simply identifying harms or debating principles, and look closely at how policy, regulation, technology, product design and organisational decision-making translate into practical outcomes.
That means examining the systems, choices and governance structures that shape digital safety in practice, where gaps remain between intention and implementation, and what meaningful progress actually requires.
Expect thoughtful conversations, practical insight, international and Australian perspectives, and plenty of room for the kinds of discussions that rarely fit neatly within a single discipline.
The Festival will include keynote conversations, fireside chats, panels, focused breakout sessions and opportunities to connect with others working across this rapidly evolving field.
FAQs
- Why attend?
Trust & Safety Festival Sydney 2026 is an opportunity to be part of Australia’s first dedicated Trust & Safety Festival, and to help bring the conversation around safer, more accountable digital systems to the forefront of Australia and the wider region.
The Festival is the meeting place for the cross-sector leaders shaping the future of digital trust. It welcomes practitioners, policymakers, regulators, researchers, technologists, lawyers, civil society leaders, educators, frontline experts and others working across trust and safety, online safety, AI governance, privacy, cybersecurity, digital rights and platform accountability.
It is also for leaders and organisations seeking a clearer understanding of how regulation, technology, product design and organisational decision-making translate into real-world outcomes.
Attendees will gain practical insight, hear Australian and international perspectives, contribute to cross-disciplinary conversations, and connect with others working to turn policy and principle into meaningful progress.
- Where will the Festival take place?
Both days of Trust & Safety Festival Sydney 2026 will be held at Pullman Sydney Hyde Park, 36 College Street, Sydney NSW 2010.
Further information about arrival, registration and room locations will be provided to attendees closer to the Festival.
- What does the Chatham House Rule mean?
The Trust & Safety Festival Sydney is held under the Chatham House Rule to encourage open, candid discussion.
You are very welcome to talk, post and tweet about the ideas, insights and conversations that emerge from the Festival. We hope you will!
The Rule simply means that, when sharing something you have heard, you must not identify the person who said it, or their organisation, unless they have made it clear that they are happy to be quoted or attributed.
In short: share the ideas, not who said them.
This helps create a space where participants can speak openly about what has worked, what hasn’t, the challenges they are facing and what they are learning.
A preview of the programme currently taking shape.
- 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Festival Welcome Reception
An invitation-only evening reception bringing together speakers, partners, sponsors and invited guests before the Festival formally begins. Designed as a relaxed opportunity to make introductions, reconnect with peers, and open the conversations that will carry through the two-day programme.
Confirmed Speakers - More to Be Announced!
The Hon. Victor Dominello, CEO, Future Government Institute
Victor Dominello is a globally recognised leader in public sector transformation and a pioneer of secure, citizen-focused digital identity. His work in creating trustworthy, tech-enabled services earned him a place on the Okta Identity 25 list of global visionaries, with his image featured on the Nasdaq Tower in New York’s Times Square. Key Career Highlights: • Former NSW Minister: As the former NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, a world-first role, Victor led landmark digital reform initiatives. He was responsible for one of the world’s first fully digital driver licences, now used by more than 85% of eligible citizens and achieving a 94% satisfaction rating. • Global Advisor: Through his role as Co-Founder of ServiceGen, Victor advises the World Bank on national digital identity and verifiable credentials. • UK Government Digital ID Advisory Group: Victor has been appointed to the UK Government’s independent Digital ID Advisory Group, providing strategic insight as the Government develops a digital ID system that is inclusive, useful and trusted by the public. • Leadership Positions: Victor holds several influential roles, including Chair of the Services Australia Independent Advisory Board and Senior Advisor to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. He is also a former Director of the Tech Council of Australia, contributing to its mission to strengthen Australia’s tech sector. • Academic and Research: Victor serves as a Professor at the University of New South Wales, where he leads the UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society Hub. Current Focus: Today, Victor is the CEO of the Future Government Institute, a global hub for leaders working on the next era of governance. He is a sought-after speaker and advisor to governments and organisations worldwide on service modernisation, helping them deliver measurable results and public value. He was recently invited to the Treasurer’s Economic Reform Roundtable to participate in the session on “Efficient and high-quality government services, spending and care”
Dr Lorraine Finlay, Australian Human Rights Commissioner
Lorraine Finlay commenced her term as Human Rights Commissioner on 22 November 2021. Prior to joining the Commission Lorraine has worked as a lawyer and academic specialising in human rights and public law. Her most recent roles have been as the Senior Human Trafficking Specialist with the Australian Mission to ASEAN, and as a law lecturer at Murdoch University. In her academic role Lorraine has lectured in areas including criminal law, constitutional law and international human rights, and has been recognised with a number of national and university awards for her teaching and research. Before moving to academia, Lorraine worked as a State Prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) and at the High Court of Australia, initially as a Legal Research Officer and later as a Judges’ Associate. Lorraine holds a PhD in Law from the University of Queensland, and a dual Masters in Law from New York University (majoring in Justice and Human Rights) and the National University of Singapore (majoring in International and Comparative Law), where she studied as a Singapura Scholar. Lorraine has also been actively involved in a variety of community organisations. Most recently this has included being a member of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Women (WA) (2011-2019) and a Board Member of the Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Service (2013-2018). Lorraine has previously been awarded the Centenary Medal and WA Law Society Youth Community Service Award for her volunteer work. Lorraine currently lives in Canberra with her husband and two young children.
Madeline Shepherd, Director, Digital Safety Asia, Microsoft
Madeline (she/her) is the Director of Digital Safety for Microsoft Asia, covering a range of online safety policy and advocacy issues across the region. She leads Microsoft's regional strategy on online safety, trust, and responsible technology, working closely with governments, regulators, and industry partners across the Asia Pacific. Madeline drives policy development and multi-stakeholder collaboration on a range of issues such as child online protection and technology-facilitated gender based violence. She is passionate about promoting and responding to online safety challenges, with a particular interest in supporting the trusted adults in children's lives to be stewards of online safety. Prior to joining Microsoft, Madeline worked for the New Zealand Government in countering violent extremism online and cyber security awareness. She has also worked for the State Government of Victoria (Australia) in similar fields.
Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen OAM, University of Canberra
Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen OAM is a cultural ethnographer, academic, and provocateur who has spent 25 years turning research into action. Author of Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo (SAGE) and creator of the Tech Girls Movement Foundation and the Future Fixers TV show, she's published more than 70 peer-reviewed academic articles and been named an AFR 100 Women of Influence. In 2020 she received the Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to information technology and to women. Jenine mentors PhD candidates through Research Central, speaks internationally on AI literacy, leadership, and workforce culture, and has never been afraid to say the uncomfortable thing the data actually supports.
Catherine Fitzpatrick, CEO & Founder, Flequity Ventures
Catherine Fitzpatrick exposes how domestic abusers weaponise everyday products and advises business, industry, governments and regulators on how to close the loopholes. A former bank executive turned social entrepreneur, she pioneered financial safety by design after uncovering abuse in online banking and leading industry-wide reforms to stop it. In 2022, she was appointed as Australia’s first Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence Commissioner. When her career took an unexpected turn, she applied deep corporate insider knowledge to a mission to redesign systems that enable financial abuse. Her ground-breaking Designed to Disrupt reports and Respect and ProtectTM campaign have mobilised businesses, regulators and governments globally. Catherine is CEO of Flequity Ventures, Adjunct Associate Professor at UNSW School of Social Sciences and an AFR | Qantas 100 Women of Influence. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and the NSW Corporate Leadership Group advising the Minister on domestic, family and sexual violence. She is founder of the Financial Safety Alliance, a partnership with finance sector industry associations to tackle financial abuse, and co-founder of the One Generation business alliance against domestic abuse, with Thriving Communities Australia. Her work is grounded in a simple belief: Safety isn’t accidental. It’s designed. And what isn’t designed to protect will be exploited to harm.
Michael Outram APM, former Commissioner of the Australian Border Force and International Border Strategy and Security Consultant
Michael Outram APM is a former Commissioner of the Australian Border Force, an international border strategy and security consultant, and a Distinguished Advisor to the ANU National Security College. Across a 44-year career in policing, intelligence and national security, including seven years leading the Australian Border Force, Michael has led major organisational reform, modernised intelligence and risk systems, and directed some of Australia's most demanding national and international responses. These have included the national border response to COVID-19, and the Australian Federal Police deployment to eastern Ukraine following the downing of MH17. Today, Michael works with industry and technology companies as an advisor and board member on modernising border and supply-chain systems, strengthening economic and national security, and navigating the converging risks across global trade, illicit finance and emerging technology. He writes and speaks widely on these themes. His work focuses on the future of borders, where trade, security and trust intersect, and on ensuring the next generation of systems delivers genuine assurance, not simply throughput.
Nina Bual, Co-founder, Cyberlite
Nina Bual is the co-founder and Managing Director of Cyberlite, a leading social enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainable and equitable cyber safety and generative AI education across the Asia-Pacific region, with offices in Singapore and India. Cyberlite designs and implements comprehensive programs for child online safety and cyber resilience building in diverse communities, with an innovative approach to localisation that aligns with international policies and curricula. Cyberlite is also the recipient of the Digital for Life Catalyst award by Singapore’s President Shanmugaratnam for its significant contributions to child online safety education. Nina is a regular speaker at international events organised by the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), ECPAT, and the GFCE.
Michelle Yao, Co-founder, Cyberlite
Michelle Yao is the co-founder of Cyberlite, an award-winning organisation dedicated to advancing cyber safety, digital wellbeing, and generative AI education in Asia Pacific. She is a fellow of the High Commission of the United Kingdom’s UK-SEA Women in Cyber Fellowship, a prestigious recognition of her contributions to the cybersecurity industry and her commitment to promoting diversity within the field. A specialist in child online protection and AI safety, she drives strategy, innovation, education, and policy for young people around the world. Michelle is also the co-author of two widely used cyber safety publications Ready, Get Set, Connect! and The Ultimate Guide to Cyber Safety. She In 2026, Cyberlite became the recipient of the Digital for Life Champions award by Singapore’s President Shanmugaratnam for their significant contributions towards national cyber safety education.
Chanel Contos, CEO and Founder, Teach Us Consent
Chanel Contos founded Teach Us Consent. It started on Instagram, and soon evolved to make mandated consent education a political priority. In order to achieve this, she worked closely with politicians from across the political spectrum, including prime ministers. Chanel was the recipient of the Australian Human Rights Commission Young People’s Medal in 2021, and in 2023 she was named NSW Young Woman of the Year for her persistent efforts towards eradicating rape culture. Chanel has also been presented with the prestigious Diana Award for her humanitarian work, and in 2022 she was listed as one of the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide. Chanel has a Masters in Education, Gender and International Development from University College London and was recently appointed by Julia Gillard to chair the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Youth Advisory Committee. She also sits on multiple government reference panels, and consults for multinational companies on violence prevention. She is the author of Consent Laid Bare: sex, entitlement, and the distortion of desire.
Jon Rouse, APM, Professor of Practice at AiLECS Labs Monash University and Childlight Hub UNSW
Jon Rouse APM is a retired Queensland Police Service Detective A/Superintendent with a 39-year career specialising in crimes against children and online child sexual exploitation. At Task Force Argos he ran Australia's first proactive covert operation targeting internet child sex offenders and led multiple national and international operations against online exploitation networks. He subsequently established three capability units at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation: the Covert Online Operations Team, the Victim Identification Unit and the Training Team. At INTERPOL he chaired the Covert Internet Investigations Group under the Specialist Group on Crimes against Children until March 2023. He has delivered training to law enforcement agencies across Europe, Canada, North America, South America, Asia and Africa and represented Australia at United Nations summits in Vienna and Kenya. From September 2023 to July 2024 he served as Queensland's inaugural Interim Victims' Commissioner, establishing the office and its capability ahead of the permanent statutory appointment and directly engaging with victims, families and support services during that period. Since leaving QPS he has been a Founding Partner of Onemi-Global Solutions, a Professor of Practice at Monash University's AiLECS Lab and a Professor of Practice at UNSW's Childlight East Asia and Pacific Hub. He holds board roles with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and POLCYB, sits on the StopItNow Advisory Board and previously chaired both ICMEC Australia and the Stakeholder Advisory Board to the Age Assurance Technology Trial. He is also an appointed Ambassador for Act for Kids, Bravehearts and the Carly Ryan Foundation. He was Queensland Australian of the Year in 2019. Other recognition includes the APM, the ICMEC Champion for Children Award and multiple Commissioner-level citations from both QPS and the AFP.
Colm Gannon, CEO, ICMEC Australia
Colm Gannon, CEO of ICMEC Australia, is a seasoned professional with a strong commitment to child protection and extensive expertise in digital safety, cybercrime investigations, and software development. With 20 years in law enforcement, he has been involved in national and international investigations and prosecutions relating to online harms, child sexual exploitation, violent extremism, and harmful online communication. Previously a Product Manager at Rigr AI involved in the software development process, policy development, and impact assessments, Colm’s wealth of experience positions him at the intersection of technology and child protection.
Jeff Wu, Co-Founder of k-ID
Jeff Wu is a Co-Founder of k-ID, where his team is building the infrastructure for an age aware internet. k-ID helps online services understand the age of their users and deliver the right experience based on their age, location, and local regulatory requirements. Its technology supports age assurance, parental consent, and age appropriate product experiences across more than 200 markets. Jeff brings almost two decades of experience in Trust and Safety, Government Outreach, and Investigations at Facebook and Google, where he was part of the early teams responsible for building and scaling these functions. In addition to his role at k-ID, Jeff serves as a District Councillor with Singapore’s North West Community Development Council and previously served as a Council Member of Singapore’s National Crime Prevention Council.
Michael McDonald, Co-Founder and CTO, 3 Steps Data
Michael McDonald is a senior solution architect, CTO and technical strategist with more than three decades of experience designing secure, high-assurance systems across industry and government. His work spans cloud-native architecture, zero-trust infrastructure, cryptographic data management and secure-by-design SaaS, with a particular focus on how privacy, governance, access control and auditability can be built into systems from the outset. He has worked across defence, national infrastructure, large-scale media platforms and privacy-focused enterprise environments, translating complex operational and regulatory requirements into resilient, scalable technology. Michael is the co-founder of 3 Steps Data, where he leads the technical strategy behind private, cryptographically secure infrastructure for organisations sharing and managing sensitive information. He is also a longstanding member of the Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN). At the Trust & Safety Festival Sydney, Michael brings a systems perspective to the field: how control, consent, revocation, transparency and accountability can be made technically enforceable, rather than left solely to policy, process or compliance.
Maryam Shoraka, Australian CISO Advisory Board Member, Corinium Global Intelligence
Maryam Shoraka is the Australian CISO advisory board member at Corinium Global Intelligence. Across more than two decades in IT and OT cybersecurity, she has led security operations, incident response, cyber resilience and transformation across government, critical infrastructure and complex enterprises. Maryam’s work has received national and international recognition, including: • 2026 Global Cybersecurity AI Ethics Woman of the Year, United Cybersecurity Alliance • 2026 Global Recognition Award for Leadership • 2025 Australian Women in Security Awards, Converged Security Resilience Champion A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity, Maryam is also committed to mentoring emerging talent and helping to build a more representative industry.
Sophie Murray-Farrell, Executive Director, Delivery Social and Community, NSW Premier's Department
Sophie Murray-Farrell is Executive Director, Delivery Social and Community, in the NSW Premier's Department. She leads whole-of-government coordination on complex social, community and national security priorities, with responsibility for initiatives spanning social cohesion, countering violent extremism, regional youth crime and community resilience. She has led major reform and recovery efforts, including the NSW Government response to the Bondi terrorist attack, development of NSW's first LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy, and oversight of the state's Countering Violent Extremism Program. Trained as a social worker, Sophie combines deep community development expertise with a strong track record of delivering system-level reform, bringing together government, communities and industry to address complex social challenges. Her current work focuses on strengthening social cohesion and community resilience in an increasingly complex online and offline environment.
Ben Au, Head of Public Policy for Australia and New Zealand, Snap
Ben is Snap's Head of Public Policy for Australia and New Zealand, where he also serves as Snap's Safety Lead for the region. He previously led policy and government affairs at IGEA, the peak body representing the video games industry across the same region. Prior to these industry roles, Ben spent over a decade in the Australian Government, including roles at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Attorney-General's Department, the Department of Communications, the Office of the Safety Commissioner, and a Royal Commission.
Michael do Rozario
Michael do Rozario is a Partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth practicing in cyber security and litigation. He has extensive experience in handling high stakes cyber events and advises clients on privacy and data law, information governance, privilege, and the legal complexities of digital transformation. With extensive experience in privacy, litigation, and regulatory investigations, Michael brings a strategic legal lens to the evolving cyber landscape.
Joël Kalmanowicz, Head of Trust & Safety Product, Operations, & Policy, Canva
As Canva's Head of Trust & Safety Product, Policy, and Operations, Joël works to safeguard the Canva community. Driving vision, strategy, and goals across Canva’s Trust & Safety platform, he collaborates with product teams and leading industry partners across AI and technology platforms to assess and mitigate safety concerns and escalations. He works to support balanced safety, fair representation, and expression in Canva's generative AI products to empower everyone to design. Joël first worked on AI/ML when he led Product for Speech Recognition at Google, as part of 15 years of experience managing product in large technology companies across consumer, enterprise, hardware, software, AI/ML, voice, maps, social and mobile. Joël is a devoted and engaged father, has mentored and advised dozens of startups and nonprofits, and volunteered to help government groups innovate across education, safety, and security. From technical privacy deep dives to user-centric design, team motivation, and broad cross functional coordination, Joël brings experience in working across conception to launch and landing for lasting, sustainable impact.
Jenny Duxbury, Interim Managing Director at Digital Industry Group Inc.
Jenny is a lawyer, public policy practitioner, and occasional academic with a career in media law, digital technology, and regulatory design. Her area of expertise is the hard policy questions that emerge at the interface of technology and media regulation. Most recently, as Director of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), she led the development of two landmark Australian regulatory frameworks: the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation and the 15 Online Safety Codes registered under the Online Safety Act 2021, covering illegal content and age-restricted material unsuitable for audiences under 18. Jenny holds a PhD in Public Policy examining the role of experts in value-laden public policy debates, a question that is increasingly apt in the era of artificial intelligence and synthetic media. She teaches on the Law and MBA programs at the University of Canberra, bringing real-world regulatory experience into the classroom. Fun Facts: ● Wrote a PhD about whether experts actually matter at all in messy policy debates; then spent years proving they do (sometimes). ● Led the drafting of strict online safety rules for AI chatbots—a landmark achievement of the digital industry, and therefore the sort of story the Australian media prefers not to publish. ● Firmly believes good digital regulation is 10% drafting, 30% stakeholder wrangling, and 60% hoping the platform you just regulated doesn't quietly become a cryptocurrency exchange, and a dating app for robots before the code you just drafted takes effect. Jenny speaks on digital media regulation, online safety and disinformation policy, and the role of industry codes in the Australian regulatory landscape.
John Livingstone, Digital Policy Lead at UNICEF Australia
John Livingstone is the Head of Digital Policy in Australia for UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency. He spends his time trying to convince people – mainly governments and tech platforms – to make changes to improve the online world for young people in Australia and abroad. His opinions have been widely published including in the ABC, the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, and the Canberra Times. John has been change-making for over a decade and has worked in all sorts of places, from training local activists in Myanmar to help them campaign against authoritarian governments, to working in prisons and detention to amplify the voices of refugees for change. He also has a Masters in Human Rights Law and a Bachelors in International Relations. In his spare time, John is a bit of nerd and likes to play piano and guitar, and is a tragic Carlton Football Club supporter.
Dr Venessa Paech, Head of Community for Digital Rights Watch
Venessa Paech (MA, PhD) is an internationally recognised online communities expert and educator with three decades in the field. She currently serves as Head of Community for Digital Rights Watch. Within Australia, she has led community for Lonely Planet, REA Group and Australia Post. Through her consultancy, she helps organisations design, build and maintain safe and thriving communities that meet strategic objectives. Clients include the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, SBS, Teach for Australia, SANE, Bunnings, Beyond Blue, ACON, WWF and Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. In 2009 Venessa founded the Australian Community Manager Roundtables, which became Swarm in 2011, the national conference for community professionals. She programmed and hosted Swarm for 11 years, drawing hundreds of community and moderation practitioners to Sydney and Melbourne annually, with guests from Australia and abroad. Venessa is Co-Founder and Director of Australian Community Managers (ACM), the national centre of excellence for online community management training and resources. ACM produces research into community management and moderation practice and facilitates the national Code of Ethics for community professionals. ACM trains moderators across the country, professional and volunteer, from diverse sectors and organisations, in regulatory and cultural moderation best practices. In 2023 she founded All Things in Moderation, the world's first global conference for online moderation practitioners, run annually online. Venessa works in several international community management leadership collectives and liaises with industry, government and researchers to grow community management practice across APAC. She serves as an expert witness in Australia on legal matters involving social media and online communities. She developed and taught the University of Sydney's first postgraduate unit in online community management, teaches the same subject at postgraduate level at the University of Melbourne, and teaches community practices for business leaders at the University of Sydney Business School. Venessa earned her PhD from the University of Sydney in 2026, researching the impacts of AI on online community governance. Her research spans moderation labour, digital harms, the professionalisation and history of community management, and online community governance.
Zoe Jay Hawkins, Co-Founder and Deputy Executive Director of TPDi
Zoe Jay Hawkins is Co-Founder and Deputy Executive Director of TPDi. Zoe brings extensive experience designing tech policy from government, big tech, academic and think tank perspectives. Zoe has served as adviser to Australia's Communications Minister and as a leader in online safety policy at Amazon. Zoe is a Member of Australia's Online Dating Code Compliance Committee, a Research Associate at the University of Oxford, and an expert researcher for the OECD. Zoe’s work has been featured by The New York Times, TIME Magazine, BBC, The Economist, The Financial Times, Forbes, POLITICO, and Vogue.
Sean Lyons, Chief Online Safety Officer, Netsafe New Zealand
I’m Chief Online Safety Officer at Netsafe, where I’ve worked since 2006. My work is grounded in a simple view of online safety: technology changes quickly, but understanding how people use it, both to connect with others and to cause harm, is fundamental to making the online environment safer. I’m particularly interested in the space where technology, human behaviour and harm meet. My work has ranged from responding to some of the most difficult forms of online harm to exploring how emerging technologies can be used to prevent harm, strengthen people’s ability to navigate risk, and create better responses when things go wrong. I believe effective online safety requires more than simply restricting technology or warning people about its risks. It means understanding how people actually live their lives online, building their capability and resilience, and designing systems that make safer choices easier while holding those who cause harm to account.
Dr Milica (Milly) Stilinovic, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney
Dr Milica Stilinovic is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Sydney’s ARC-funded Governing Immersive Tech project and an affiliate of the Justice Collaboration Team, specialising in digital extremism, technological harms and the governance of emerging technologies.
Ishtar Vij, Regional Director of APAC Public Policy and Government Affairs, Discord
Ishtar Vij leads public policy for Discord across the Asia-Pacific region, where she is responsible for the company's engagement with policymakers, civil society and industry on issues affecting the platform and its users. Ishtar is a public affairs practitioner with extensive experience in technology public policy. Her career spans multiple sectors: she has held public policy roles at technology companies, founded and run a consultancy, practiced law in private practice, and served on the boards of non-profit organisations. In addition to her role at Discord, Ishtar is co-convenor of the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance, a coalition focused on improving digital inclusion outcomes across Australia. Through this work, she engages with a broad range of stakeholders on the practical barriers to digital participation and the policy settings needed to address them.
Jess Wilson, CEO, Good Things Australia
Jess Wilson is CEO of Good Things Australia, a digital inclusion leader, advocating, partnering, educating and innovating to ensure no one is left behind in the digital world. With over 20 years experience in the social purpose and government sectors, Jess has made significant contributions across the child and family, education, and digital inclusion sectors. She holds a BA, BScWk (Hons), and Grad Dip in Education and has held not-for-profit executive roles for the past 15 years, focusing on creating systemic change. Jess is recognised as a leader in the national digital inclusion landscape, advocating for greater awareness, investment, and collaboration to close Australia’s digital divide. She is a member of the Strategic Governance Committee for Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance and a member of nbn’s Low Income Digital Inclusion Forum. Jess is actively involved in connecting with local, national, and international stakeholders emphasising the importance of community based support to close the digital divide and create kinder, more connected communities.
Caroline Humer, Co-founder the Trust & Safety Festival and Survivors & Technology Solving Image-Based Sexual Abuse (STISA)
Caroline Humer began her career in child protection, specializing in the global response to child sexual exploitation and missing children. Over nearly two decades, she has worked at the intersection of technology, protection, and international collaboration, helping shape new approaches to some of the most complex challenges facing vulnerable people online. In 2022, Caroline co-founded the Trust & Safety Forum in Lille, France, creating a dedicated space for the rapidly growing Trust & Safety community to connect, exchange expertise, and develop practical solutions for a safer digital environment. Building on its success, she co-founded the Trust & Safety Festival in 2024, expanding the conversation internationally and bringing together platforms, regulators, policymakers, law enforcement, NGOs, researchers, technology providers, and other stakeholders committed to making the digital world safer for everyone. In 2024, Caroline also co-founded Survivors & Technology Solving Image-Based Sexual Abuse (STISA), a global NGO focused on transforming the response to image-based sexual abuse. STISA works to equip survivor support helplines with the technology, resources, and connections they need to help survivors secure the removal of non-consensual intimate images and prevent further revictimization.
Jean-Christophe Le Toquin, Co-founder the Trust & Safety Festival and Survivors & Technology Solving Image-Based Sexual Abuse (STISA)
Jean-Christophe Le Toquin has a track record in establishing multi-stakeholder initiatives that strengthen digital safety and security through information sharing, policies and technology solutions. In 2022, he co-founded the Trust & Safety Forum in Lille, France, creating a dedicated space for the rapidly growing Trust & Safety community to connect, exchange expertise, and develop practical solutions for a safer digital environment. Building on its success, he co-founded the Trust & Safety Festival in 2024, expanding the conversation internationally and bringing together platforms, regulators, policymakers, law enforcement, NGOs, researchers, technology providers, and other stakeholders committed to making the digital world safer for everyone. In 2024, he also co-founded Survivors & Technology Solving Image-Based Sexual Abuse (STISA), a global NGO focused on transforming the response to image-based sexual abuse. STISA works to equip survivor support helplines with the technology, resources, and connections they need to help survivors secure the removal of non-consensual intimate images and prevent further revictimization. He brings to this project his 10 years in managing and chairing the French hotline Point de Contact and as President of INHOPE, the global network of frontline services against child sexual abuse material. He chairs the international and cross-disciplinary Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN) since 2015. He is a former Director of the Digital Crimes Unit at Microsoft Europe Middle East & Africa.
Kim Chandler McDonald, Co-founder the Trust & Safety Festival and 3 Steps Data
Kim Chandler McDonald is a technology entrepreneur, cybersecurity leader, author and lifelong advocate for a safer, more human digital world. She is Co-Founder and Co-Host of the Trust & Safety Festival Sydney, bringing together leaders from technology, government, regulation, civil society, academia and law enforcement to confront some of the most complex challenges shaping our digital lives. She also serves as Global Vice President of the Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN), where her work has included a particular focus on combating technology-facilitated domestic abuse, violence and coercive control. Kim is Co-Founder and CEO of 3 Steps Data (3SD), a data governance platform designed to make enterprise-grade data security, governance and control accessible to organisations of all sizes. 3SD is a Founding Partner and sponsor of the Trust & Safety Festival Sydney, reflecting Kim’s broader commitment to building technology that gives people and organisations greater control over their data. A writer, editor, broadcaster, interviewer and storyteller, Kim is the author of several award-winning books, including *Innovation: How Innovators Think, Act and Change Our World* and *Flat World Navigation, Collaboration and Networking: Building Dynamic Relationships in the Global Digital Economy*. Across her work, she explores the intersection of innovation, technology, governance and human agency - and how we can build a digital world that is safer, more trustworthy and more genuinely centred on people.
Toby Dagg, Co-founder the Trust & Safety Festival and Founder, Primary Purpose
Toby Dagg has spent more than two decades working where child protection, digital regulation, and online safety policy meet. He was present at the creation of the eSafety Commissioner in 2015 and spent a decade shaping its growth — founding the Investigations Branch, leading Regulatory Operations at SES Band 2 level, and overseeing implementation of the Online Safety Act 2021. Across that time he worked closely with platforms and industry on some of Australia's most significant regulatory actions and reforms, engaging on everything from child sexual abuse material to image-based abuse, sexual extortion, and emerging digital harms. He has also brought that expertise directly into the financial sector, advising Westpac for two years on child safeguarding through the Safer Children, Safer Communities Roundtable. Through Primary Purpose Advisory, he now advises platforms, government, financial institutions, and civil society on online safety strategy, child safeguarding, and regulatory design.
Sage Emmerson, Assistant Manager, Strategic Policy and Tech Futures, eSafety Commissioner
Sage Emmerson is Assistant Manager, Strategic Policy and Tech Futures at the eSafety Commissioner, working at the intersection of public policy and emerging technology, supporting Australians to have safer, more positive experiences online. Sage brings experience across the non-profit, research and government sectors, with work spanning Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Daniel Child, Industry Insights and Enablement Manager, Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety)
Dan leads the Industry Insights and Enablement team at Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, where he is responsible for strengthening organisational understanding of emerging online safety trends, technologies, and innovation. He also oversees efforts to expand the reach and impact of the internationally recognised Safety by Design initiative. Through close collaboration with the technology sector, Dan’s team promotes proactive approaches to identifying, preventing, and mitigating online harms before they occur. Prior to joining eSafety, Dan was an Executive Manager at Quantium, one of Australia’s leading data analytics firms. In this role, he led the development and implementation of governance frameworks focused on the ethical use of data, privacy, cybersecurity, and responsible innovation. Dan also brings extensive experience in scaling teams and driving growth in fast-paced digital businesses. During his seven years at Groupon, he held a range of leadership roles, building high-performing teams and helping the organisation navigate significant periods of growth and change. His career spans the intersection of technology, data governance, risk management, and digital innovation, with a strong focus on creating safer and more trusted online experiences.
Kelly Tallon, Executive Manager of Industry Regulation & Enforcement, Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety)
Kelly Tallon is the Executive Manager of Industry Regulation & Enforcement at the Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety). Her branch leads eSafety’s work to improve online services’ systems and processes through Industry Codes and Standards, transparency reporting against the Government’s Basic Online Safety Expectations, and the new Social Media Minimum Age. Kelly joined eSafety in early 2019 and has held a variety of legal, policy and strategy positions across the organisation, including leading the development of an age verification roadmap, position papers on generative AI and recommender systems, and many of eSafety’s policy submissions. Prior to joining eSafety, Kelly worked in NGO and government roles at the intersection of technology, education, criminal justice and children’s rights. She holds law degrees from Harvard Law School, where she participated in the cyberlaw clinic at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society, and from the University of New South Wales, where she studied media and technology law with the support of a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship.
Sienna Parrott, Senior Policy Advisor (Acting Head of Policy), Teach Us Consent
Sienna is a Senior Policy Advisor (Acting Head of Policy) at Teach Us Consent. She was an advisor to the Leader of the Australian Greens in gender equality and gender-based violence prevention. Sienna also worked on the campaign with Teach Us Consent and the Australia Institute to criminalise stealthing in multiple states and territories, and has published research driving progressive reform in Australia.
Edward Wee, Director, Online Safety Regulation, Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore
Edward Wee is a seasoned Online Trust & Safety leader with extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. He is currently the Director of Online Safety & Content Regulation at the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore, where he leads the development and operationalisation of Singapore’s online safety and internet content regulations. Prior to IMDA, Edward led Meta’s APAC Strategic Response and Content Policy teams from 2017 to 2021, where he oversaw whole-of-company responses to major complex geopolitical, regulatory and online safety incidents and crises, and developed product policies and operational processes for Meta’s family of apps. From 2014 to 2017, Edward was BP’s APAC Head of Intelligence and Geopolitical Risk where he provided actionable strategic intelligence updates to BP’s Executive Leadership. Before that, Edward served in the Singapore Armed Forces for 12 years, during which he was the Military Assistant to the Chief of Army, a Branch Head in Army Intelligence, and a Company Commander, among other appointments. Edward graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors in International Relations and History, and received his Masters in Political Science from Columbia University.
Caroline Wall, Head of Customer Vulnerability, CBA
Caroline Wall is the Head of Customer Vulnerability at CBA, she leads pioneering work to protect customers from financial abuse and technology-facilitated harm. She plays a key role in CBA’s response to abuse in transaction descriptions, using AI and machine learning to detect and support impacted customers. A champion of Safety by Design principles, Caroline ensures banking products are flexible, secure and resilient against weaponisation. Her work integrates vulnerability awareness into policy, product, training and frontline operations, including CBA’s Next Chapter program, which supports people impacted by financial abuse. Caroline also advocates across multiple sectors to shape industry guidelines and utilise emerging technologies to strengthen customer protections.
Tas Ahmed, Assistant Manager - Industry Insights & Enablement, Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety)
Tas is a technology risk and cyber security professional driven by people, passionate about technology, talent development, solving problems and delivering strategic results and outcomes. Tas currently works in the Australia’s eSafety Commissioner's Industry Insights & Enablement team, where she is responsible for identifying and establishing impactful engagement and collaboration with industry and promoting Safety by Design as well as discovering and analysing emerging online safety trends, innovations and challenges in the digital environment to deliver insights. Prior to joining eSafety and moving into a trust and safety role, she held roles in the cyber consulting sector, working at CyberCX, KPMG and Deloitte. Tas’ notable experience includes leading teams and assisting clients with cyber audit, assurance, advisory, privacy and digital transformation services. Her career experience spans across many areas including strategy, threat intelligence, security operations, GRC, identity and access management, cyber education and training, IT audit and assurance, crisis and resilience, workforce capability and development and program management. Tas has a strong focus on securing organisations and communities alongside creating safer and more trusted online and digital experiences.
The Hon Dr Andrew Charlton MP, Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy, Federal Member for Parramatta
Andrew Charlton MP, Federal Member for Parramatta, is an economist, business owner, and former senior economic advisor. Prior to entering Parliament, Andrew completed a PhD in economics at Oxford University and went on to work at the London School of Economics. He worked as an advisor to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during the global financial crisis. Andrew was previously appointed Special Envoy for Cyber Security and Digital Resilience and Australia’s senior official to the G20 Leaders’ Summits. In his current roles as Cabinet Secretary and Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy, Andrew is at the forefront of work to ensure new technologies have a positive impact across Australia’s economy, and that these benefits are equitably shared. He is dedicated to ensuring that Australia remains a leader in digital innovation. As the Federal Member for Parramatta, Andrew is deeply committed to advocating for his diverse community, focusing on economic development, social equity, and sustainability. His leadership is characterized by a forward-looking approach, integrating economic, digital, and community priorities to build a stronger future for all Australians. As the father of three young kids, Andrew believes in a government that has strong plans for the future.
Francis Ng, Commissioner, Online Safety Commission
Francis Ng is the Commissioner of Online Safety and heads the newly-established Online Safety Commission, a dedicated public agency established to support victims in seeking timely relief for online harms. He brings to this office broad expertise across criminal law, legal policy, and public administration, gleaned from a legal career spanning over two decades across some of Singapore's most prominent public institutions. Francis began his career as a Deputy Public Prosecutor and State Counsel with the Criminal Justice Division of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) in the year 2000. From 2009, he served as an Assistant Registrar in the Supreme Court Registry, subsequently joining the Legal Policy Division of the Ministry of Law (“MinLaw”) and serving as its Director from 2011-2012. Francis returned to the AGC in 2012 and was appointed Deputy Chief Prosecutor in 2016, in which capacity he oversaw the prosecution of serious drug offences and organised crime matters. In April 2022, he returned to MinLaw to head the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office, assuming the appointments of Official Assignee, Public Trustee, Official Receiver, Licensing Officer, Registrar of Moneylenders and Registrar of Pawnbrokers. In January 2025, he took on the additional role of Chief Maintenance Enforcement Officer. From 1 June 2026, he was seconded to the Info-communications and Media Development Authority as Commissioner-designate and was appointed Commissioner of Online Safety on 29 June 2026. Francis holds a Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Singapore and a Master of Laws from Cambridge University. Admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 2006, he was appointed Senior Counsel at the Opening of the Legal Year 2017.
Amanda Third, Co-Director, Young and Resilient Research Centre, Western Sydney University
Professor Amanda Third (PhD) is Professorial Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre in the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University and Faculty Associate on the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard. She is a leading international expert in child and youth participation research, with an emphasis on understanding contemporary digital practices.
Sage Emmerson, Assistant Manager, Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety)
Sage Emmerson is Assistant Manager, Strategic Policy and Tech Futures at the eSafety Commissioner, working at the intersection of public policy and emerging technology, supporting Australians to have safer, more positive experiences online. Sage brings experience across the non-profit, research and government sectors, with work spanning Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Anju Dhanushkodi, Young Ambassador, UNICEF Australia
Jordan Benavidez, Director, Safety by Design, Match Group
Jordan Benavidez is a longtime trust and safety professional. She is currently the Director of Safety by Design at Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, and many other dating apps. Previously, Jordan has held trust and safety roles at Spotify, Twitter, and the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She has particular expertise in the areas of child safety, combatting scaled abuse, responsible AI, and safety by design.
Kuan Chia, (Co-Founder of HumAI+, and incoming PhD candidate at Griffith University researching scams)
Kuan Chia is a co founder of HumAI+ which offers integrated human centric AI technology solutions. His board roles also include The Argonauts Series, a C-suite platform where trusted relationships turn into business, and regtech FCC Analytics. Kuan brings 25+ years governance, risk, compliance and transformation experience across finance (Macquarie, HSBC and Goldman Sachs), consulting (Big 4), government (Federal Department of Finance, NSW Treasury and Queensland Treasury), renewable energy (Stanwell Corporation) and regulatory (Queensland Competition Authority) sectors. Kuan is a graduate of the University of Queensland and FCPA with the Australian Society of CPAs and HK Institute of CPAs who is currently a PhD candidate focused on developing a holistic lifecycle framework to uplift scam prevention.
Sponsors & Partners
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
