Comments on: Podcast: Could expanding privacy law harm children?

A report explores how some states want to expand the Children Online Privacy Protection act from under 13 to under 18. Co-author Adam Thierer says such laws could have negative consequences.

[kisekileia]

People don't realize how vital it can be for teens to be able to speak their minds. The Internet is an outlet for abused teens, for LGBTQ teens who can't come out to their families, for kids having emotional problems that they can't/won't tell their parents about...it's so important. Teens need to be able to speak for themselves, to interact on the Internet without their parents always looking over their shoulders. I know people who would likely not be alive now had they, as teens, been deprived of that right.

[Lumiseon]

Quite correct. The moment they try doing that, I'm pretty sure that many, if not all of the teenage hackers will pull a revolt. A well deserved Internet revolt on that.

[monkeyfun14]

Oh come on really we all know the COPPA act doesn't even work. If a kid wants on a site bad enough they will simply lie about their age.

COPPA isn't stopping kids from getting on any site whether it be chat or pornography.

[xcal78]

I know a lot of parents fail when it comes to their kids. If they think this is going to do their job for them it failed at 13 and it'll fail at 18.