The Legal Issues of Protecting Kids and Not Invading Preators’ Privacy
I came across an interesting piece today on the law.com website. In Playing With Privacy, Harry Valetk addresses the complete shift in humanity to online/electronic communications and discusses the paths, options, and current practices for trying to make sure that kids, who are already at that ‘online communication’ age, aren’t being taken advantage of.
He addresses the problems with simple age identification tactics imposed upon websites (um… they don’t work), and the issues surrounding average-user privacy when trying to push further than passive age requests.
Indeed it seems a lot of legislation is putting pressure on the websites. Why?
Now, anyone who has read a blog here knows I HATE MySpace and social networking sites… but I also don’t blame them. They are what they are and kids love them. I have a lot of friends that use them – I refuse to. I value my marriage too much.*
What I don’t understand is why there is no legislation being put to parents to take control and watch their kids? If lawmakers and can tell us to buckle-up when we drive (because it saves our own life), tell us where and when we can and cannot smoke cigarettes (because it saves our own life and those around us) and now some folks even try to tell us we have to watch our child disciplining actions (I’m sorry, some kids just need a beating, plain and simple)… then why can’t they tell parents it is mandatory for them to monitor their kids’ Internet usage?
The same way the RIAA slapped the parental advisory stickers on all my CDs in the ‘90s and the same way every video games have the ESRB rating on it, the Internet should have a big fat sticker that reads “Enter at your own risk”… past that, you are putting personal privacy and free enterprise at risk.
It is up to parents to monitor their child’s Internet usage. No one else’s.
It is up to parents to talk to their kids. No one else. (Well, ok, maybe teachers…)
It is up to parents to be the first and last line of defense. NOT the websties the child visits.
When my parents sent me out to play (pre-Internet-1980s), they wanted to know where I was going, whom I was going to be with and when I was coming home. Just because technology changes, doesn’t mean the values and basic principles of parenting should too. Parents should know who their kids are talking to online, what sites they are visiting and when they are on. Anything less is just poor parenting.
We encourage using parental control software like our PC Pandora, but we also encourage that open dialogue and trust between parent and young Internet user that will help ensure child safety online.
June is National Internet Safety Month… Educate yourself and your kids on this important issue!!
Happy Memorial Day weekend! 
*Hint: that was a joke. I have heard so many stories of people becoming MySpace addicts and even know someone that was fired from her job because of it. The implied joke was that I know if I join, divorce papers will soon follow. 
