Keeping Kids Safe From Predators (er, Marketers) Part One

July 13, 2009 Since researcher Sara M. Grimes opened up the conversation on data mining and privacy practices for us, I’d like to keep the focus on this important topic for a sec, because I DO believe we can use media and marketing to impact kids in favorable ways, and have founded our entire organization on that premise to sift out the sludge and elevate the possibility. … [Read more...]

Childrens’ Digital Privacy Advocates Show FTC Watchdogs Aren’t Woofin

June 18, 2009 Here we go again. I'm beginning to feel a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day having deja vu that we've 'been there done that' all over again.  Oh, that's right. We HAVE. Over a decade ago, Jeff Chester, executive director of Center for Digital Democracy played a leading role in the passage of COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998)...Since … [Read more...]

The MySpace Mom Skates, While The Teen Hangs? No Justice There!

Not to get all soapbox-ey, but since we’ve been talking about digital ethics and online immersive behavior a lot lately, I’ve gotta toss this one out there… Yesterday’s MediaPost update on the case of the jilted 13-year old MySpace teen (Megan Meier, at left) who hung herself due to a misguided mom masquerading as online beau Josh Evans (who never … [Read more...]