Protecting Your Children's Privacy On The World Wide Web
It's no exaggeration to say that the internet has revolutionized the world in countless ways, for people of all ages, backgrounds and interests. Kids are certainly included here, and the internet can be helpful to them in many ways. It can also be a distraction and an inconvenience, and in certain cases, it can be detrimental to their privacy, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Websites kids may stumble upon can, of course, contain inappropriate or obscene content, and it is important that they are blocked from accessing them. This can be easily accomplished through various software programs, and some websites provide this function for parents, so that access is restricted to adults. When privacy is concerned, however, the matter becomes slightly more dicey.
Shielding your youngsters from inappropriate violations of their privacy requires an understanding of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
According to the stipulations of this law, it's illegal for any website operator to knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13 years old without acquiring the consent of his parents, and that they must protect the confidentiality of information collected through legal means.
Consider the issue: do you want your son or daughter's full name, address or email address floating around the world wide web? You've probably heard plenty of horror stories related to online identity theft, and although that hazard doesn't specifically apply to children, the concept of privacy violation remains the same.
The FTC recommends a number of practices to aid your efforts in this matter. Checking if your kids' favorite websites require any personal information for registration, if they have a strict privacy policy and if they offer contact information for the site's webmaster. COPPA requires that any site falling under its regulations provide that data, since you, as a parent, have the right to find out what you want to know straight from the most primary source.
Are you concerned about your child's internet activity?
