SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer issued the following statement regarding Consumer Reports’ finding that 7.5 million Facebook users are under the site’s minimum age of 13:
“Facebook and the rest of the tech industry are not doing enough to protect children. As a result, millions of kids are being taken advantage of by everyone from marketers and scammers to cyberbullies and predators. It seems clear that Facebook has not done enough to address this challenging problem of millions of underage kids on their platform, although they’ve had ample opportunity to do so. This is exactly why Congress is doing the right thing by introducing privacy legislation this week that puts kids first. Facebook and the rest of the industry should join parents, policymakers and educators alike in supporting the Do Not Track Kids legislation being introduced this week. When companies refuse to acknowledge this is a major problem, they are giving the entire industry a bad name when it comes to protecting kids’ online privacy and other online vulnerabilities.”
The Common Sense Media Privacy Campaign launched in October 2010 with a challenge for industry, policymakers, educators and parents to protect kids’ privacy online. For more information about the campaign, including the new policy paper Protecting Our Kids’ Privacy in a Digital World and results from Common Sense Media’s nationwide poll of parents and teens, visit www.commonsense.org/privacy.
About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. We exist because our kids are growing up in a culture that profoundly impacts their physical, social, and emotional well-being. We provide families with the advice and media reviews they need in order to make the best choices for their children. Through our education programs and policy efforts, Common Sense Media empowers parents, educators, and young people to become knowledgeable and responsible digital citizens. For more information, go to: www.commonsense.org.
Press Contacts
Marisa Connolly
mconnolly@commonsense.org
415-553-6703
Julia Plonowski
jplonowski@commonsense.org
415-553-6728
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