James Smith

Is Trust & Safety having an identity crisis? This session will explore the profound transformation of the T&S function to a strategic, proactive, and risk-centric pillar of the modern online platform. But what is the modern mandate for Trust & Safety?

• Today’s Relationship Between T&S, Product and Compliance
• Organisational re-design – Practical strategies for restructuring T&S teams to be more agile and cross-functional
• The future of Trust & Safety talent – What are the skill sets required for modern T&S professionals?
• Analysing the state of Content Moderation in 2026
• Reframing the narrative of T&S from reactive "clean-up" to a critical product and risk discipline to anticipate and mitigate threats before they emerge.

Trust & Safety has become one of the most politicised functions in tech. Leaders are under pressure not only to protect users but also to navigate the crossfire of political narratives, public opinion, and global regulation. This panel will examine how senior T&S executives can uphold their mission in an era of intense scrutiny and geopolitical complexity.

• How the politicisation of T&S is reshaping the role of leaders and teams
• Rising above political crossfire to advocate for genuine online safety
• Managing reputational fallout and risk in an era of instant, global scrutiny
• Responding to real-world harms with conscience, care, and speed
• Trust & Safety through a geopolitical lens: conflicting pressures across the UK, EU, US and beyond