Privacy Online!

[XS <xshahy@yahoo.com>]

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Greeting to all!!


for better view click on the link
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000420/wr/tech_privacy_1.html

To What extent the government guarantee the
implementation of such Law?, and what guarantee the
government gives in return? any thoughts!!?

XS

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Thursday April 20 3:16 PM ET 

 First American Online Privacy Law Takes Effect

 By Eddie Evans

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will start
surfing the Web on Friday to enforce the first federal
statute on online privacy -- a new law that imposes
 thousands of dollars in fines on marketers who
collect personal information from children under 13.

 The law, aimed at protecting the privacy of preteens
online, requires Web sites to seek the permission of
parents before collecting personal information from
children under
 13.

 Primarily targeting intrusive online marketers -- who
in the past have asked children for financial
information about their parents -- the law imposes
fines of $11,000 per
 violation.

                  ``We'll be surfing Web sites to
ensure that it is being enforced. We certainly intend
to ensure that it is,'' said Lee Peeler, associate
director for
                  Advertising Practices at the Federal
Trade Commission.

                  While privacy groups welcome the
law, which is the first of its kind in the United
States, some children, no doubt, are furious.

                  America Online has deleted the
profiles, or online identities, of anyone who listed
their age as under 13, according to spokesman Andrew
                  Weinstein.

 Instead, AOL wants children under 13 to use profiles
where they do not give their age and which are
monitored under AOL's parental controls system. These
profiles have
 restricted Internet access.

 And the head of San Francisco-based eCRUSH, a Web
site that matches teens with mutual crushes, says she
has received e-mail ''flames'' from under-13s when
they
 found out she was closing their accounts.

 eCRUSH President Karen DeMars said the paperwork
involved in getting parental signatures would have
been too overwhelming, so the company decided to shut
out
 under-13s.

 Privacy advocates are watching carefully to see how
well the law works, saying the level of success will
set the tone for their efforts to protect the online
privacy rights of
 all Americans.

 ``From tomorrow, Americans will be in the absurd
situation of losing all privacy rights online when
they turn 13,'' said Jason Catlett, founder of
Junkbusters Corp., which is
 dedicated to combating intrusive online practices. 




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