How to Learn About the Children's Online Privacy Act

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 is a federal law that went into effect in 2000 and exists to monitor and regulate the access of children under 13 years old to the Internet. If you have children who are under 13, this law applies directly to your family, in that it is a much-needed barricade between your children and the otherwise unregulated Internet. With your children surfing the Web at will, you should learn about the Children's Online Privacy Act so you can know what your kids are being exposed to in their unsupervised time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Learn About the Children's Online Privacy Act

1. Read the main points of the Children's Online Privacy Act paraphrased in colloquial language (see Resources below).
2. Go to the source: once you know what it is about, read the text of the actual law (see Resources below). If you want to learn about the Children's Online Privacy Act, the proper text of the law is a good place to start.
3. Send your children to the Kidz Privacy website (see Resources below) to help them understand the nature of electronic privacy and what is and is not permissible. With the Internet, children are placed within reach of inappropriate information and people, and you should deputize your children as soon as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• The language of the actual text of the law can be extraordinarily dry and difficult to follow, so reading the synopsis first can be very helpful.
• If you still don't understand the exact provisions of the law and you still want to, contact a lawyer. Nearly any lawyer will be able to translate the law into terms you can understand.
• Once your kids learn about what kind of privacy they should expect, encourage them to tell you if something inappropriate should occur.
• The Children's Online Privacy Act is a contentious piece of legislation and is constantly changing in the face of judicial decisions and precedent. Stay informed in the news or some other recently updated cite to know the current status of the law.
• The Children's Online Privacy Act only says what is legally allowed, not what is legally possible. You should still keep up with what your children are doing to avoid unfortunate complications.