Online Safety for Children

Online safety for children

BIS 220

September Thursday 08, 2011

Online safety for children

Information technology has increased significantly overtime, bringing advantages and disadvantages with it. The use of the Internet has made it easier and quicker to access numerous subjects from vacation planning, to the best plumber in town. Students find it helpful for schoolwork when they need to research topics for papers because it gives one access to countless amounts of information. Students without Internet at home can easily go to their school or city library to use the computers and Internet they provide. With such a large amount of access to the Internet, it can become a danger for children because it is so easily accessible to look up any subject. These are just some of the reasons the government stepped in to regulate Internet usage for children.

The children's Internet protection act of 2000 enforces elementary school, secondary school, and libraries with Internet access to block material deemed harmful to minors. These facilities must provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that they have installed technology for computers with Internet access, which filters this harmful information. This requirement for Internet safety protects against access to visual depictions that are pornographic or considered obscene in any way (Universal Service Administrative Company, 2003). This is a condition to receive a discount on telecommunications services by the Universal Service Fund, a federal program for qualified schools, hospitals, and other institutions. E-Rate is the commonly used name for these programs, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under direction of the FCC (Universal Service Administrative Company, 2003). The Internet opened up so many new ways for children to be taken advantage of, which brought about original rules and regulations to keep them safe.

By 1998, almost 10 million children in the United States had access to the Internet, which enabled marketers to collect personal information from them (Electronic Privacy Information Center, 2011). Children gave private information through their registration to chat rooms, and discussions boards, which marketers compiled into files and sold to third parties for commercial purposes (Electronic Privacy Information Center, 2011). In response to this growing awareness Congress enacted the children's online privacy protection act (COPPA), which requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforce a rule protecting the privacy of children under the age of 13 (Federal Trade Commision, 2008). The act became effective on April 21, 2000 and called for marketers to request