Level: Grades 6 to 9
Overview
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This lesson introduces students to the ways in which commercial Web sites collect personal information from kids and to the issues surrounding children and privacy on the Internet. It begins with a guided discussion on what type of information is valuable to marketers, and the methods that they use to collect this information online. Students also compare Canadian voluntary guidelines to American legislation for the protection of children's privacy online. Activities include a survey of privacy practices on popular children's Web sites; a letter-writing activity to voice concerns about online privacy; and an exercise where students learn to recognize 'smoke and mirrors' in privacy policies for children's Web sites.
Learning Outcomes
Students demonstrate:
- an awareness of the methods used by online marketers to elicit personal information from children.
- an understanding of the Internet's unique capacity to mine data and track individual users.
- an understanding of the issues surrounding the protection of children's privacy on the Internet.
- familiarization with the voluntary guidelines that are being used by some commercial Web sites.
Preparation and Materials
The Lesson
Begin by asking students:
- How many of you visit sites for fun on the Internet?
- Of those who go online, what types of sites and activities do you enjoy best?
- Have any students ever been asked to submit information to a Web site?
- Why did they have to submit it?
- What information was requested?
- Did they mind submitting this information? Why or why not?
Guided Discussion
Privacy is a big issue on the Internet, especially when it comes to kids. In 1999 the Washington-based Center for Media Education researched the information-gathering methods of 155 children's sites and found that 95 per cent of the Web sites that they examined actively collected personally identifiable information from kids.
Brainstorm:
- What kinds of "personally identifiable" information are collected by Web sites?
- How is this information collected?
- What might marketers do with this information?
Write the following types of personal information on the board:
ages & birth dates hardware & software information
interests hobbies
e-mail addresses names
postal addresses phone numbers
gender
Ask students to rank this information, from items they think are most often solicited on kids' commercial Web sites, to those they believe to be least often solicited by online marketers. Discuss the types of information that students believe to be most often requested. Why might this information be valuable to marketers?
In 1999, the Federal Trade Commission surveyed the privacy practices of 212 children's Web sites. They found that:
- 96% solicited e-mail addresses
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- 24% solicited phone numbers
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- 49% solicited postal addresses
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- 13% solicited hardware/software information
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- 46% solicited ages & birth dates
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Source: Privacy Online: A Report to Congress,
by the Federal Trade Commission,
Washington, D.C., 1998
Students should be aware that personal information is a valuable commodity. Some kids' sites are supported through the selling of information gathered from young visitors to third parties such as marketing firms. Others use their understanding of kids insecurities, preferences and lifestyles to maximize the marketing potential of their sites.
Distribute the student handout Protecting Your Privacy on Commercial Web Sites and review the main points with students. Encourage them to share similar situations that they may have encountered while online.
- Regarding privacy policies, have any students ever read a privacy policy on a Web site? (Most likely, many students have not. Students might be interested in the fact that of the 212 children's sites surveyed by the Federal Trade Commission in 1998, only one-quarter posted privacy policies.)
- For those that have read Web-based privacy policies, which sites were they on? Were there any surprises?
- Why are privacy policies important?
- Are there any additional points that students feel kids should know about when they visit commercial children's sites?
Differences between the United States and Canada
In the United States, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Guidelines (COPPA) came into effect in April 2000. This law requires commercial Web sites to provide clear notice of how they collect information on their sites and places restrictions on the type of information that can be collected from kids under the age of thirteen. In addition, many American Web sites for kids also adhere to the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU)'s Guidelines for Interactive Electronic Media,which stipulates how marketers can market products to children.
Canada has no laws relating to children's privacy and the Internet. In spring 1999, the CRTC (the government agency charged with regulating Canada's broadcast industries) ruled that they would not attempt to regulate the Internet. Instead, Canadian companies are expected to follow voluntary guidelines.
In Canada, the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) has created a voluntary privacy code for the Internet. Although these principles don't specifically apply to children, it's assumed that kids are covered by them. The Canadian Marketing Association's Marketing Guidelines for Children(which are also voluntary) includes a few stipulations that relate to the collection, transfer or request of personal information from kids by marketers.
DistributeChildren's Online Privacy Protection Act Guidelines, and CARU's Guidelines for Interactive Electronic Media(used in the United States) and the CMA's Marketing Guidelines for Children (used in Canada). Review the main points with students.
- Which of these documents does the best job protecting children's privacy? How can you tell?
- Which of these would you prefer to see in Canada? Why?
- What are some of the disadvantages of voluntary regulation? What are some of the advantages?
- Take a close look at the COPPA Guidelines. Even though this is law, what challenges might the U.S. government face in implementing these rules?
- Why is the Internet so difficult to regulate?
The first activity for this lesson requires Internet access. For the second and third activities, a computer is not needed.
Activity 1: Online Survey of Commercial Sites for Kids
Internet access required
- Distribute the Privacy Checklist to students.
- Divide the class into groups.
- Assign each group five Web site addresses from the CME's Most Popular Children's Web Sites (or sites suggested by students that have been vetted and approved by the teacher).
- Using their checklists, have each group record the methods that are used on these sites to elicit personal information from children. They should also note any privacy infringements they may encounter (i.e., no privacy policy or one that is vague, incomplete or misleading; a statement telling kids "to go and ask Mom or Dad" before filling out a survey, with no means of verifying parental consent).
- Each group will report their findings to the class.
- Each group will submit a written report on their findings, including a ranking of their sites from most, to least, respectful of kids' privacy.
Activity 2: Taking Action
No computer needed
Distribute the student handouts Voice Your Opinions: Online Marketing to Childrenand How to Write an Effective Complaint Letter.
Part of being a good "Netizen" is taking action when you encounter questionable content such as invasive online marketing practices. Using their findings from Activity 1, have students write a letter to a children's Web site that infringes on the privacy rights of children.
Activity 3 Privacy Policies
No computer needed
Ask students to review and compare the privacy policies from two fictitious commercial kids' Web sites. Students must assess the strengths and weaknesses of each of these policies; noting any privacy infringements, vague or misleading language, or omissions. Students will write a report on each of these privacy policies in order to determine which of these sites is most respectful of the privacy of children.
