19th May 2000

When the Web was a wee part of the Internet, we didn't have half as many e-problems as we do today. Privacy may be an issue for all ages, but parents seem to have the most concerns. The US Federal Government decided to help (bless their hearts). Web site owners who collect information from young users are now required to get permission from their parents first. That is to say, the child's parents -- not the Web site owner's. The FTC.GOV Web site has more (specific) information and directions for effective policy implementation; I figured half of you would want to MAKE SURE you're following these guidelines. I wouldn't want anybody to get in trouble down the road. There's one surefire way that parents can maintain control over their child's surfing adventures: supervision. Not always practical, but surely more foolproof.