Protect Your Child Online

From my weekly (AM) radio segment titled "Legal Minute".


Kids today have more devices and access to computers than any generation. So, it can be tough for parents know their rights when it comes to what kids are doing online. Kids are also unsuspecting prey for online predators. That’s why the Federal government enacted the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act – or COPPA- back in 2000. COPPA applies to the online collection of personal information from children under the age of 13. Website operators cannot collect or use personally identifiable information about a child, such as full name, home address, email address, telephone number or any other information that would allow someone to identify or contact the child without meeting certain conditions. The conditions are that the website operator must have a privacy policy available on their website and direct notice must be provided to the parent about the proposed collection of the child’s personal information. Notice to the parent by email is acceptable. Then, the parent has the right to consent or withhold consent before any information about their child is collected. Parents also have the right to revoke a previous grant of consent. Keep our kids safe online and exercise your right to say no.