Teen privacy rights on the web debated

There is a national debate on how much privacy and free speech teens should have on the web. A proposal to change federal regulations to help parents control information websites collect from their children is the source of this debate.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires websites aimed at children under 13 years old to notify parents and get their permission before collecting, using, or disclosing children's e-mail addresses and other personal identifying information. This act also requires that the website operators keep any collected personal information secure. According to Fox News, the Federal Trade Commission had reviewed COPPA in 2005 and did not alter it. However, the past decade has experienced an enormous amount of Internet expansion. This includes everything from social networking sites to using mobile technology to gain Internet access. The FTC is now looking into this again. They have started to ask for public comment on reexamining COPPA in March, and it will be accepting comments until July 12. It will also consider a recommendation that the act be expanded to apply to everyone under the age of 18. A national organization of parents known as Common Sense Media are the ones making the proposal. The group argues that COPPA's regulations should be extended to all children under 18 years old. They say this is because of the ways teens use social networking sites and other online services. Fox News quotes James Steyer, Common Sense Media's CEO and founder:

Today, changes in technology and digital media have made it even more difficult for parents to keep tabs on their children's personal information online. In this rapidly evolving and increasingly mobile digital world, parents can't control the types of information collected about their children online unless they're given reasonable opportunities, so the industry must make significant changes to the ways they collect personal information.

Steyer adds:

In addition, parents can't control children's personal information online unless they understand how the online world works, so parents must have access to more information and educational tools.

There are some, however, that find issues with the new proposal. John Morris, who is the general counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, notes 15-year-olds in many states have the legal right to consent to medical procedures without parental consent. Morris tells FoxNews.com:

If you imagine a law that says you have the right to treat 17-year-olds differently than 18-year-olds, then what that says is that every website on the Internet that is subject to American law would have to implement a process to identify every single one of their users, including you and me.

Morris also said that he expects free speech and privacy to be affected "very dramatically." The is because sites that cater to young people would not be able to access them without their parents' permission.