Online and Unprotected: The Need for Child Privacy in a Technological Trap

Online and Unprotected:

The Need for Child Privacy in a Technological Trap

As the United States continues to push forward in technological development and electronic competition, the limitless innovations on the internet are creating controversial legal grounds. Computers, gaming systems, phones, iPads, ipods—all devices are now available to children and in such a demand so that more can ‘log on”. With so many youth surfing and googling, one has to wonder, how safe is the internet, REALLY? The damaging effects that the exploitation of personal information can have on children are endless. With this in mind, online journalists have the responsibility to report stories that do not violate the privacy of children nor promote the violence from the internet.

Privacy Violations

The little crumbs of private information on the internet lead to privacy catastrophe. Take for example, the COPPA vs. W3 Innovations case. COPPA sued W3 Innovations for $50,000 because of COPPA violations within several of their Emily’s World Apps. Through Emily’s Girl World, Emily’s Dress Up app, and Emily’s Runway High Fashion app, W3 Innovations was able to illegally obtain over 30,000 email addresses, most of which belonged to children. (Sabett, 2011)

COPPA violations in the Emily’s World case were the result of  negligence on the behalf of the defendants to “(a) “maintain or link to an online notice of…information collection, user, and disclosure practices,” (b) “provide direct notice to parents of [its] practices regarding the collection, use, and/or disclosure of children’s personal information,” and (c) obtain verifiable consent from parents prior to collecting, using, or disclosing children’s personal information” (Sabett, 2011). These traps have taken advantage of the privacy rights of children.

While the W3 Innovations and COPPA dispute has been settled, more children than ever are continuing to use mobile devices to spending longer hours socializing online and using Web apps with are “designed to gather data in support of selling ads” (Acohido).

Privacy and Violence

Not only has the privacy information of children been exploited by ads, but also by the public media. According to an experiment conducted by Middle East Technical University, Turkey and published in the journal of New Media and Society, “both frequent and risky usage of internet account for a significant variance of cyber bullying” (Erdur-Baker, 2010, p.109). Cyber bullying of children by children has been witnessed all over twenty four hour news networks. Personal information of children has been plastered to their facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites. This information could pertain to relationship status, sexual orientation, religious views, and any other topic which could become controversial. Children have used this information within cyber bullying to intimidate and threaten children outside of school grounds.

Online journalists covering topics on child privacy, exploitation, and social media violence need to be sure to sensor their blogs, articles and videos. The amount of children who are actually the victim of cyber bullying or a violent act is a small percentage compared to what is seen on television and the internet. When the media portrays more violence than good, viewers, children especially in this case, are subject to “resonance” and the “mean world syndrome”. The “mean world syndrome” discussed in Cultivation Theory by George Gerbner, is the cynical mindset of general mistrust of others subscribed to by those who indulge heavily in media (Griffin, 2009, p.353). Gerbner also describes “resonance” as “the process by which congruence of symbolic violence [in the media] and real life experiences of violence amplifies the fear of a mean and scary world. With Gerbner’s studies in mind, online journalists can clearly see how the exploitation of the privacy of children online can have a detrimental effect on the future.

Resources

Acohido, B. (2011, September 7). Advocates: Kids often vulnerable online. USA
     Today. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com

Erdur-Baker, Ö. (2010, February). Cyberbullying and its correlation to
     traditional bullying, gender and frequent and risky usage of
     internet-mediated communication tools. New Media and Society, 12(1),
     109-125. doi:10.1177/1461444809341260

Griffin, E. (2009). A first look at communication theory. Boston, MA:
     McGraw-Hill.

Sabett, R. (2011, August 17). $50,000: Price tag for COPPA violation by mobile
     app developer. Law Across the Wire and Into the Cloud: Recent Developments
     in Internet Law. Retrieved from http://www.zwillgenblog.com/2011/08/17/
     50000-price-tag-for-coppa-violation-by-mobile-app-developer/