Hannah Aubry

Trust & Safety cannot operate in isolation - its impact depends on deep alignment with product and engineering. From embedding safety into design decisions to building the technical infrastructure that enables real-time detection and response, the relationship between these functions is now mission critical. This session will explore how large to T&S into product and engineering to deliver safer, more resilient platforms and more enriching experiences.

• Embedding T&S considerations directly into product roadmaps and feature design
• Building engineering partnerships to scale moderation and risk detection systems effectively
• Balancing user experience, innovation, and safety when trade-offs are unavoidable
• Creating governance models that align T&S, product, and engineering priorities without slowing development

Mastodon’s decentralised model challenges traditional approaches to Trust & Safety by placing power in the hands of individuals and communities. Instead of centralised enforcement, communities are given the tools to moderate themselves and shape their own norms. This session will explore how Mastodon are seeking to build human-first spaces, encourage prosocial behaviour, and push safety decisions closer to the people they affect. We’ll also look at how T&S teams can design features that empower users while still providing safeguards across a diverse ecosystem.

• Encouraging prosocial behaviour through design and culture
• Enabling community-led moderation in decentralised networks
• Balancing autonomy with safety when decisions sit at the personal level
• Designing tools and features that serve people, not just platforms