Common Sense Media to Hold First Town Hall on Online and Mobile Privacy for Kids

Mountain View, Calif. – Tonight, Common Sense Media, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, will hold its first town hall about kids' online and mobile privacy. "Tracked Everywhere: What Parents Need to Know About Protecting Kids' Privacy Online" will bring parents and caregivers together with industry leaders at the Computer History Museum for an open discussion about how kids' information is being shared and used in a digital world.

"Kids are being tracked online, and parents deserve to know the facts," said James Steyer, CEO and founder, Common Sense Media, the host of the event. "This town hall is the first in our nationwide series of conversations with parents about the online tracking and profiling of kids and what parents think that industry and policymakers should be doing about it."

Panelists and parents will discuss the current state of online privacy and the online tracking and profiling of kids, as well as the roles that parents, teachers, policymakers, and industry leaders play in protecting kids' privacy -- both online and on mobile platforms.

In addition to Steyer, the panelists for tonight's event include:

• Michelle Dennedy, chief privacy officer, McAfee, Inc., and founder, The Identity Project
• Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla
• Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-12), member of the House Oversight and Government Reform and Homeland Security committees
• Owen Tripp, co-founder and COO, Reputation.com

The moderator for tonight's panel is Kara Swisher, co-executive editor, AllThingsD.

"Every American has the right to privacy, both offline and online," said Rep. Speier. "I'm happy to be a part of this town hall discussion with Common Sense Media, which is leading the charge in protecting kids' online and mobile privacy in Washington. It's my hope that these discussions with parents will help us encourage our leadership to make stronger privacy protections a reality for all Americans sooner rather than later."

"At The Identity Project, we believe that privacy isn't just some quaint, historical notion that should be ignored in the face of innovation," said Dennedy. "People, identity, and human data are worth protecting, especially when it comes to our kids. Industry leaders play a huge role in figuring out not only how to balance innovation with consumer safety but also how to use their creativity and foresight to create real, universal safeguards for our kids' information. I commend Common Sense Media for bringing some key players in the space together in one room to talk about how important privacy protections are in our 24/7 digital world."

To RSVP for tonight's event, visit http://kidsprivacy.eventbrite.com. Members of the press should send an email to [email protected]. The event will be live blogged at Twitter at @CommonSenseNews using the hashtag #trackedkids. A webcast of the event will be available starting Sept. 1 at www.commonsense.org/tracked-everywhere. For more information about the "Tracked Everywhere" series of national town halls, visit www.commonsense.org/tracked-everywhere.

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:

Lisa Cohen
310-395-2544
[email protected]

Colby Zintl
415-553-6753
[email protected]

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