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Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013 Introduced Today in Congress

New federal bill enhances online protections for kids and teens and includes an "eraser button"

I am thrilled to share our support of the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013, a bipartisan and bicameral bill introduced in Congress today by Senator Ed Markey and Representative Joe Barton. It is promising to see leaders of both parties and both houses of Congress come together to address kids' online privacy, an issue of increasing concern for families across the country.

Today's kids are living so much of their lives online and are forfeiting their right to privacy before they fully understand what privacy is. Common Sense Media believes kids and families should have the right to control their privacy and personal information online. We are pleased that the Do Not Track Kids Act prohibits collection of personal and location information from children and young teens without permission and empowers them with the right to delete personal content they post online.

Common Sense Media has been a strong supporter of the "Eraser Button" law that was recently enacted in California (described in my recent post), and we've been encouraged to see other states across the country now following suit with similar bills. This trend highlights the need for an "eraser button" requirement at the national level.

Do Not Track Kids 2013 includes an "eraser button" provision and would provide parents and teens with control and choice over online tracking and targeted advertising. It reinforces recent updates to the FTC's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule that enhance protection for personal information that websites and apps collect from children under 13. Also, it provides new safeguards for young teens age 13 to 15, who are often more prone to impulsive behavior online.

I commend Senator Markey and Representative Barton for their leadership in protecting kids' and teens' online privacy. As kids and teens live more and more of their lives in online, social-network, and mobile ecosystems, this legislation empowers them to erase some of their digital footprints and to tell Web operators: do not track.

Learn more here.

Jim Steyer

Jim is Common Sense Media's CEO and founder -- read all about him here.