Safety is Sexy

Should you build your trust & safety stack in-house or partner with a provider? Matt and Hill Stark break down how to make the call—covering partner fit, testing with your own data, policy-specific moderation, and the real cost of building and maintaining a safety program internally.

Our next episode features Savannah Badalich of Discord, who dives into the power of gaming, her history with games, and how to build safety through thriving. In time for Safer Internet Day, this week Discord has announced that teen-by-default and age assurance is rolling out globally on the platform as another way to help make Discord a safe place for users.Read More about Discord’s Global Teen-By-Default Settings

Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov, Global Head of Parent Advocacy at Roblox and longtime digital parenting expert, unpacks what it means to raise kids in a gaming-first and online world. Dr. Milovidov dives into why conversations matter more than controls and how to use behavior (not just minutes) to gauge whether screen time is healthy. Further, she  shares practical ways to co-play games like Roblox and Minecraft, tips to choose age-appropriate content, how to spot red flags without panicking, and methods to turn safety tools and settings into part of a shared family plan so you can feel less like a tech cop and more like the trusted adult your child needs.

Welcome to our first live recording of the 'Safety is Sexy' podcast. This week I am joined by Weszt Hart, Head of Player Dynamics at Riot Games, to discuss prosocial behavior in online gaming. Weszt shares insights from his extensive experience emphasizing the importance of creating game environments that encourage building trust and fostering positive player interactions. We delve into the definition of prosocial behavior emphasizing actions that benefit others, whether intentional or not. We include practical examples from various games, strategies for fostering trust, and the broader goal of digital thriving.

Safety is Sexy is back with a special TrustCon 2025 episode! This week Matt sits down with the insightful Alice Hunsberger to dive into what makes TrustCon such a meaningful gathering for the trust and safety community. From practical conference tips and awkward networking moments to fashion debates and session previews, Matt and Alice bring warmth, humor, and wisdom as they gear up for another inspiring year. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a seasoned pro, this episode is your optimistic guide to making the most of TrustCon 2025.

In this episode of Safety is Sexy I speak with Joel Silk, a former Air Force intelligence officer with extensive experience in cybersecurity and trust and safety. Joel discusses his transition from military intelligence to cybersecurity and then to trust and safety. We discuss: The importance of protecting users and systems, how collaboration between cybersecurity and trust and safety teams can significantly improve user confidence and platform integrity, the impact of emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and quantum computing, and how they can shape practices in both fields, and we also discuss practices for incident response and communication particularly in light of recent cybersecurity breaches affecting telecommunications.