As a parents' and online safety advocate and author of the book, A Parents' Guide to the Internet . While many advocacy groups and child advocates have been very concerned about online safety and inappropriate content, many have been slower to recognize the issue of online privacy. I recognized the seriousness of online privacy and advertising practices in late 1996. From my weekly speaking engagements to parents around the country, I have heard first hand how many see this as the most significant issue we face with children online. Parents are very concerned with privacy issues.
Internet access is concerned.
This survey is confirmed by the thousands of e-mails and other correspondence I receive from parents each week. Yet, while privacy and safety are paramount, parents also want their children to have an easy surfing experience, without having to wait the time involved with the collection of offline snail mail consent. They want to be able to use e-mail to correspond with a site and to provide consent for their child. They also understand that children have been forging parental notes since the beginning of time. For broader coverage, we suggest that this definition be expanded to include codes linked to a particular account, computer, etc.