54 percent of children's sites provide some form of disclosure of their information practices. 49 percent of sites that collect personal information from children and have an information practice disclosure say that the information may be released to third parties. Only 23 percent of sites tell children to seek parental permission before providing personal information. 97 percent of parents whose children use the Internet believe Web sites should not sell or rent personal information relating to children. 72 percent object to a Web site's requesting a child's name and address when the child registers at the site, even if such information is used only internally.
Web sites use a variety of techniques to solicit personal information from children.
For example, some sites require children to answer questions about their interests in order to register or to become eligible to win prizes. Some sites use detailed questionnaires, soliciting information about children's age, gender, geographic location, and even personal finances. From Online Privacy a June 1998 report to Congress by the Federal Trade Commission Access prior versions of Today's Statistics.