1999 Legislative Review
KIDS IN THE KNOW ADDRESSES MAJOR LEGISLATION | | |
Kids in the Know has been working since the summer of 1996 – when legislation was first introduced that would destroy the ability of organizations to use direct mail to provide information, products, and services to children and families – to educate lawmakers and the public and defeat harmful legislation. Today, that threat not only remains, it has been expanded to include privacy issues concerning the ever-growing and complex World Wide Web.
"Concern over privacy has reached an all-time high," said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee as he opened a congressional hearing earlier this year. While Kids in the Know has had much success this year in thwarting several damaging pieces of legislation, the growth of the Internet will only make the job of educating lawmakers about the importance of getting valuable educational materials to children and families that much more important.
The Internet poses many new challenges and opportunities, but it's vital that direct mail does not get unduly categorized with the Web and restricted by its oversight measures. In addition, as Kids in the Know members integrate the Internet into their everyday businesses, it becomes more important to be aware of legislation that affects Internet privacy and - where appropriate - be a part of the debate. It's certain that both Congress and several state legislatures will be debating Internet privacy issues in 2000.
The most significant event of 1999 was the Federal Trade Commission's development of rules governing the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In response to the difficulty of obtaining verifiable parental consent, the FTC held public workshops with industry leaders to learn about the current state of technology and the ability of companies to obtain the necessary consent. Kids in the Know played a key role in framing the issue and ultimately in shaping the agency's final rule.
The greatest hurdles this year were found in Congress and in the legislatures of California and Massachusetts. The new legislation introduced in Massachusetts was hailed by Lt. Gov. Jane Swift, the bill's sponsor, as "one of the nation's most comprehensive undertakings to protect the privacy of consumers in the information age."
Following is a summary of key legislation and regulations of importance to Kids in the Know from the past year:
Highlights include:
| • Rules drafted for Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
• Parental-consent bills in Congress, Massachusetts, New York, and
New Jersey
• Government privacy task forces meeting or proposed in Congress
and New York
• Internet concerns heat up nationwide
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