National Poll: Three out of Four Parents Say Social Networks Aren’t Protecting Kids’ Online Privacy

October 8, 2010

Tools

Common Sense Media Calls for Industry: “Do Not Track Kids”; Help Parents Protect Kids’ Privacy

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Common Sense Media, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, today released the results of a nationwide poll of parents and teens revealing that three out of four parents say that social networks aren’t doing a good job of protecting kids’ online privacy. The poll finds that 92 percent of parents are concerned that kids share too much information online, and 85 percent of parents say they're more concerned about online privacy than they were five years ago. The Zogby International poll also finds that 91 percent of parents think that search engines and social networking sites should not be able to share kids' physical location with other companies until parents give authorization.

“The poll results present a clear divide between the industry’s view of privacy and the opinion of parents and kids,” said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. “We are all responsible for addressing this enormous challenge: The industry must openly acknowledge the problem. Parents and kids have to educate themselves about protecting their information. Schools should teach students and parents about privacy protection. And policymakers must update privacy policies for the 21st century. Common Sense Media has launched a campaign to educate parents and teachers and push for solutions that will provide parents with the tools they need to protect their kids' online privacy.”

The Common Sense Privacy Campaign includes six main goals:

1) “Do Not Track Kids.”
2) The industry standard for all kids’ privacy should be opt-in.
3) Privacy statements should be clear and simple.
4) Parents, teachers, and kids need to be educated about protecting privacy.
5) Industry must innovate to protect kids and families.
6) Government needs to update privacy policies for the 21st century.

For more information about the campaign, visit www.commonsense.org/privacy.

To view the poll in its entirety, contact Marisa Connolly at 415-553-6703 or mconnolly@commonsensemedia.org.

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. For more information, go to: www.commonsense.org.