A federal law was passed in 1998 called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) which placed significant restrictions on the personal information which websites could gather from children under the age of 13 years old. Information gathering was allowed only if the parent or guardian gave verified consent to the website. Additionally, this law enacted restrictions around online marketing to children in this age group. While this certainly is a step in the right direction regarding the protection of our most precious resource, our children, parents still need to be proactive in supervising their kids online. Start by talking to your children about the possible dangers that exist in cyber world. Enact rules around computer usage designed to enhance internet safety. Use of protection tools can be a great way to block unwanted content from your child’s computer. There is also software available which tracks online activity.
The internet is an excellent resource for children, whether interacting with teachers and friends, gathering information for school assignments, or playing online games. Every effort should be made to protect them from predators as they explore their world.
Tags: internet safety, parental controls