Online safety for kids has garnered a lot of media attention lately, with discussions arising about how to protect the privacy of minors, keep kids away from unwanted content, protect them from internet predators, and stop cyberbullying.
The 2006 cyberbullying case of Megan Meier in Dardenne Prairie, Minnesota, brought the potential consequences of cyberbullying to light, with the teen’s suicide following online bullying at the hands of neighbors. The case of Jessi Slaughter showed just how vicious cyberbullying can be.
In more recent news, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a study that found cyberbullying has increased, with roughly one out of every six school-aged children experiencing cyberbullying.
As always, parents should take an active role in protecting their kids online.
This article discusses some of the measures that US state and federal governments have taken to protect people’s privacy and make the internet a safer environment for kids.
*This article discusses American laws. Check your local statutes if you live outside the US.
Federal laws that protect the privacy of minors
The federal government became aware of the growing need to protect privacy online, particularly concerning minors using the internet in the late 1990s.
In 1998, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was the first major legislation of its kind to make its way through Congress and pass into law.
The law protects the privacy of children by legislating that online entities cannot obtain a child’s personal information without parental consent. It also makes it illegal to require children to provide more information than is necessary to play a game online or participate in a contest. All websites must also make their privacy policies available to parents.
The FTC added additional rules to COPPA in 2000 to tighten safety and privacy regulations for children. Under the new regulations, online sites directed at children must provide parents with notices of their information practices and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information from children.
Sites must also grant parental access to and control of all their child’s stored information. Parents can also choose whether websites can provide third-party disclosure of their children’s information and can prevent further collection of information from their kids.
State laws that protect the privacy of minors
While federal laws play a critical role in protecting minors’ privacy online, individual states have also enacted their own legislation to address the unique challenges of safeguarding children’s data and well-being in the digital world.
Here are two examples from New York:
- New York Child Data Protection Act: This act requires online services that collect data from minors to delete such data within 30 days if they learn a user is under 18, unless they have parental consent. It also prohibits addictive feeds for minors unless operators verify the user’s age or obtain parental consent.
- Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act: This act complements the Child Data Protection Act by focusing on restricting notifications to minors during nighttime hours and ensuring that online platforms do not exploit addictive features without verified parental consent.
These are just a few ways the government continues to help keep your kids safe online.
State cyberbullying laws
On the cyberbullying front, progress has mostly happened on the state level. Currently, all 50 states have anti-bullying laws in place, and many have updated those laws to address cyberbullying.
Most legislation addressing online bullying mandates schools to implement measures to protect kids from harassment by their peers. Schools may use disciplinary measures like suspension and anti-bullying policies that incorporate terms like “online harassment.”
States with anti-bullying laws addressing online harassment include Washington, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, Missouri, Oregon, New Jersey, Idaho, Arkansas, and Massachusetts, among others.
Specific laws to protect kids online
Federal legislation to protect children online dates back to the early 2000s, including:
- The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2001 (CIPA): Protects minors who access the internet in schools and libraries by requiring these institutions to have internet safety policies that block obscene and harmful content. Schools and libraries must monitor minors’ online activity and adopt a safety policy addressing email, chat rooms, and electronic communications.
- The Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002: Created the kids.us domain for content directed at minors to create a safe, kid-friendly environment on the internet. However, the site was retired in 2012 due to changes in the way we use the internet.
- The Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008: Protects minors by mandating an FTC campaign to increase public awareness about safe internet use. The act also educates minors about appropriate online behavior and internet harassment causes. It imposes a forfeiture penalty for violations of FCC regulations regarding the sexual exploitation of minors.
- The Protect Our Children Act of 2008: Appropriated more than $300 million to help fight internet crimes against children, establishing a task force to assist state and local law enforcement in responding to cyber enticement and child pornography.
- In 2008, attorneys general from 49 states reached an agreement with MySpace to better protect minors by creating stronger age verification, setting up a registry of parent-supplied blocked email addresses, and making the profiles of minors default to private settings.
- The Social Networking Safety Act of 2009: Proposed by the State of New Jersey, this act would require social networks to have “report” icons for inappropriate content and cyber harassment and to investigate these reports. If a network fails to respond appropriately, it can be sued for consumer fraud.
- Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA): KOSA was written as a result of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s disclosure that Meta was harming the well-being of teens. This proposed act seeks to impose stricter regulations on online platforms to protect users under 18. It would require platforms to limit personalized recommendations, restrict communication with minors, and implement parental controls for privacy management and in-app purchases. It also aims to address concerns over cyberbullying, addiction, and exposure to harmful content.
New child safety laws being considered
As we mentioned earlier, KOSA is gaining momentum and it is believed that the Senate version has enough votes to pass, as does the Bipartisan Online Safety Bill, backed by Senator Chuck Schumer.
It’s safe to say that cyberbullying and child online safety are major priorities. People in high places are ensuring that we don’t lose sight of the dangers these threats pose to our youth.
That’s why it’s important to monitor the online activity of minors and young adults when a concern arises. With that in mind, you can check the internet for personal and damaging information regarding your child’s private information.
Grab a copy of your free online reputation report card and find out what the internet has available for others to see about your child. The report instantly shows you how others view your child online and what public information about them is available.