Tag Archives: COPPA
Help Kids Keep Their Online Information Private and Advertisers at Bay
Posted on 27. Jan, 2013 by lynette.
Kids spend a lot of time online, and the information they post – and even the information they don’t post such as where they click, what they like, what they’re searching for – is valuable data to organizations who want to sell them something.
Whether they know it or not, in a single day, kids who use social networks and mobile devices are sharing lots of data that can be used to create and deliver very targeted advertising to them. Here’s a look at part of a teen’s day, the digital trail they’re leaving, and what you can do to help kids protect their privacy.
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Facebook for Kids: Is it That Alarming?
Posted on 06. Jun, 2012 by lynette.
A Wall Street Journal article this week has stirred again a discussion about Facebook allowing those under 13 to use its site. Mark Zuckerberg once addressed it in public, when asked about it.
It strikes me as odd as Facebook’s stock continues its slide that such a story would be resurrected, and wonder if the opposite were true, we might never have heard of this again – until perhaps Facebook actually had opened its doors to those under 13.
But besides the suspicious timing of this story, I still wonder why an arbitrary age set by the laws of 1 country that compromises only some of the 900 million Facebook users worldwide creates panic among some of us.
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Privacy Legislation Does Not Eliminate Need to Teach Kids About Online Privacy
Posted on 23. May, 2011 by lynette.
Online privacy has suddenly become the stage for a huge battle between lawmakers, technology companies, youth and online safety advocates, advertisers, and consumers.
Most U.S. parents probably don’t realize all of this is transpiring at both a national and state level. Breaking down one proposed piece of legislation, SB242 from California State Senator Ellen Corbett, may help identify what is fueling all of the action and reaction and, more importantly, remind us of our role in teaching kids how to protect their online privacy. SB242 focuses on addressing online privacy on social networking sites and its three provisions deserve a closer look.
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Google’s Doodle Debacle and What It Means to Your Kids
Posted on 25. Feb, 2011 by lynette.
Earlier this week, Google was exposed for an issue with their 4th annual “Doodle 4 Google” contest. The contest is designed to encourage creativity among students in grades K-12 in the U.S. It asks them to create a drawing using the Google logo. The winning entry is then displayed on the Google home page and the winner receives a college scholarship and a technology fund for their school. It’s commendable to engage and reward students in this way.
But the misstep Google made in this 4th year is stunning, especially for a company that is closely scrutinized and many times criticized for its privacy practices. I took particular interest in this story and contest because we are also currently running a contest aimed at youth and schools. I am still baffled as I compare how we’ve chosen to run our contests.