First I would like to say that Parents should not be allowing 13 y/o or younger children to surf the net unsupervised and if they were not neglecting their responsibility the COPPA law would not be necessary. However, in America and probably in most developed nations, parents have abdicated their rights and responsibilities as parents in favor of governmental control and so COPPA is a necessary evil. The argument about offshore sites is a valid one but then America cannot police the entire world, yet! But we have a responsibility to police ourselves. In all I wish the law were unnecessary but lazy, uncaring parents force us to legislate the protection parents are supposed to provide but don't. Will COPPA work? No, like all other laws it will not impact the law-breakers and the law-abiding people (except Disney!!!) were already doing what is necessary to protect our childrens rights. Well that ought to stir up a whole bunch of religious zealots, Paranoids, and Flame hounds so I'll quit there.
Slashdot Mirror
First I would like to say that Parents should not be allowing 13 y/o or younger children to surf the net unsupervised and if they were not neglecting their responsibility the COPPA law would not be necessary. However, in America and probably in most developed nations, parents have abdicated their rights and responsibilities as parents in favor of governmental control and so COPPA is a necessary evil. The argument about offshore sites is a valid one but then America cannot police the entire world, yet! But we have a responsibility to police ourselves. In all I wish the law were unnecessary but lazy, uncaring parents force us to legislate the protection parents are supposed to provide but don't. Will COPPA work? No, like all other laws it will not impact the law-breakers and the law-abiding people (except Disney!!!) were already doing what is necessary to protect our childrens rights. Well that ought to stir up a whole bunch of religious zealots, Paranoids, and Flame hounds so I'll quit there.