Parental Control Software Datamines Kids' Online Conversations

An AP report reveals that web-monitoring software from Sentry and FamilySafe, both developed by EchoMetrix Inc., is harvesting data from kids' online chats, trying to determine their opinions on games, movies, and music. The data is then sold to other companies for advertising purposes. "In June, EchoMetrix unveiled a separate data-mining service called Pulse that taps into the data gathered by Sentry software to give businesses a glimpse of youth chatter online. While other services read publicly available teen chatter, Pulse also can read private chats. It gathers information from instant messages, blogs, social networking sites, forums and chat rooms. ... Parents who don't want the company to share their child's information to businesses can check a box to opt out. But that option can be found only by visiting the company's Web site, accessible through a control panel that appears after the program has been installed. It was not in the agreement contained in the Sentry Total Home Protection program The Associated Press downloaded and installed Friday."

Comments

That is what you get

[nurb432]

When you delegate your parental responsibilities.

Re:That is what you get

[tinkertim]

When you delegate your parental responsibilities.

As a parent of a three year old girl, I agree with you. However, standing over their shoulder the entire time they use a computer is not going to be very productive.

I wish more parents would understand that you have about 8 years from the time that a kid is born to install a sense of confidence and worth in them that can't be easily (if at all) broken by future peers, predators or come what may. If you manage to do it, your kid will make good choices.

No software is a substitute for a desire in a child to make good, positive self serving choices when they are confronted with the various bumps in growing up.

What a world this police state is becoming, sheesh.

Re:That is what you get

[Shadow of Eternity]

The problem isn't the kids, the problem is that some (probably uncomfortably large) percentage of parents absolutely refuse to consider their children as anything other than half employee and half property. You raise your kids to never know privacy, dignity, or respect and unless they are particularly unique in some way that shakes them free of the pattern they'll be doormats to anyone that wants to violate them in a similar way.

It doesn't help that we're the country that has no problem with flooding our kids with violence but god help us if they might possibly see a nipple somewhere, let alone anything else, and so parents will fall over themselves to pay various companies god knows how much for every knee-jerk reaction they can wring out of them.

Sue them.

[Yvanhoe]

Seriously. EULA or not, this is invading the children privacies. There must be a law against this.

Re:Sue them.

[selven]

The child didn't agree to the EULA.

Sounds Illegal to me

[Concern]

In the US, children have special privacy protections afforded by law. It involves things like "opt-in" and parental consent.

http://www.coppa.org/comply.htm

IANAL, but I have worked on a number of projects which had to comply. Based on what is said here, this seems in flagrant violation. Somebody call the cops.

Highly Vauable Information

[gsslay]

Early results indicate that kids are pre-occupied with gayness (in an unfocussed and confused way), wedgies, noogies and the smell of poo.

Further analysis reveals that Disney actors are hot, teachers aren't and swimming pools are responsible for most diseases.

Any company data-mining this further are welcome to try. There are great truths to be found within, I'm sure.

Wonderful ...

[krou]

FamilySafe: Protecting your kids, but not from us!

Not apparently illegal [Re:Sounds Illegal to me]

[Geoffrey.landis]

In the US, children have special privacy protections afforded by law. It involves things like "opt-in" and parental consent.

http://www.coppa.org/comply.htm

IANAL, but I have worked on a number of projects which had to comply. Based on what is said here, this seems in flagrant violation. Somebody call the cops.

Nope.

"The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule apply to individually identifiable information about a child"

As long as they're only data mining the information on what the kids are interested in, and not saving which child was interested in what, they're apparently not violating the COPPA law.

Which is not to say that what they're doing is right, of course.

Technology is a tool, not a substitute

[Temujin_12]

My wife and I view our responsibility as parents as very basic:

1) Provide basic necessities an enjoyments of life (emphasis on necessities)
2) Provide love and a feeling of trust and safety in the home
3) Teach them a strong sense of identity and self-worth
4) Teach our kids what choices are, how to recognize good from bad choices, and how to accept the consequences of you actions

For computers, here's our strategy:

1) Place computers in a open public place (including our own)
2) Teach them that computers are a tool and how people use it for good and bad
3) Openly discuss what acceptable and unacceptable behavior with computers/games are
4) Limit time spent on computer
5) As much as possible, don't create double standards
6) Use OpenDNS and block certain sites depending on their age

We feel parental technology should be used to reinforce what you're already teaching, not as a substitute.