PROTECTING KIDS' PRIVACY ONLINE.

• Position: Brief Article

Whether playing, shopping, studying, or just surfing, today's kids are taking advantage of all the World Wide Web has to offer. When it comes to their personal information online, though, who's in charge? The Federal Trade Commission has established new rules for website operators to make sure that youngsters' privacy is protected while they are online:

Website operators must:

Post their privacy policy. Websites directed to children or that knowingly collect information from kids under 13 must post a notice of their information-collection practices that includes:

* Types of personal information they collect from kids--for example, name, home address, e-mail address, or hobbies.

* How the site will use the information--for instance, to market to the youngster who supplied it, notify contest winners, or make the information available through a child's participation in a chat room.

* Whether personal information is forwarded to third parties.

* A contact at the site.

Get parental consent. In many cases, a site must obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about a child. Consent is not required when a site is collecting an e-mail address to respond to a one-time request from the child; provide notice to the parent; ensure the safety of the youngster or the site; or send a newsletter or other information on a regular basis as long as the site notifies parents and gives them an opportunity to say no to the arrangement.

Get new consent when information practices change in a "material" way. Website operators need to notify parents and get consent again if they plan to change the kinds of information they collect, alter how they use the information, or offer the information to new and different third parties. For example, new parental consent would be required if the website decides to send information from children to marketers of diet pills instead of just sellers of stuffed animals, as covered in the original consent, or give a child access to a chat room if the parent's original consent covered only sending a newsletter.

Allow parents to review all personal information collected from their children. To do this, website operators must verify the identity of the requesting parent.

Allow parents to revoke their consent and delete information collected from their offspring at the parents' request. When a parent revokes consent, the website must...