http://www.clickonf5.

org/14487/google-coppa-disquieted-sophie/
Google, COPPA and disquieted Sophie
By Sanjeev Mishra on December 12, 2011@clickonf5
Few months ao, !oole "hrome team release# a vi#eo
a#vertisement with title as $Dear Sophie%& 'hat a# was
abo(t a irl name# So)hie an# she is havin !mail
acco(nt since her birth as her #a# starte# that acco(nt in
her name& *er #a#, Daniel +ee, (se# to write email with
birth#ay )ict(res, season reetins etc& to her acco(nt
an# was waitin for the riht time to let her know the ,D an# the )asswor# for that acco(nt so
that she can also checko(t the archives )oste# by her #a#& B(t, it was not as sim)le as Daniel
was thinkin beca(se !oole can chane the '-S .terms of services/ at any )oint of time an#
can revoke all the access an# even can #elete the archives witho(t even warnin Daniel +ee&
'his is what is ha))enin riht now with the !oole acco(nts of (n#er ae chil#ren& *ere is
the com)lete story&
First of all, I want you to meet Sophie Lee, Daniels daughter.
0yframe (rl12htt)344www&yo(t(be&com4watch5v167vk8*ij#9k2:
+ike So)hie, many other (n#er ae ki#s are havin !oole acco(nt& Some of the acco(nts
were starte# by their )arents an# few ki#s starte# their own acco(nt& Some eeky ki#s also
starte# bloin, )artici)atin in comm(nities, starte# makin ;o('(be vi#eos .some of
them are oo# at it as well/ an# also starte# #evelo)in a))s for mobile )latforms like i-S
an# <n#roi#& B(t, one #ay !oole starte# followin "-==< (i#elines an# starte# blockin
the acco(nts of chil#ren with ae (n#er 1>& <ccor#in to "-==< ."hil#ren?s -nline =rivacy
=rotection <ct/, no website is allowe# to collect )ersonal information from a chil# (n#er ae
of 1>&
, (n#erstan# that "-==< is for the online safety of chil#ren?s )ersonal information, an# it is
oo# that !oole is now followin "-==< (i#elines& B(t accor#in to some re)orts,
!oole #i#n?t sen# any warnin messae abo(t this sche#(le# activity of blockin the
acco(nt an# that?s why the ki#s as well as their )arents are #is@(iete#& 'hey are not even
allowe# to take back() or eA)ort the #ata from !oole so that they can )lace the same
somewhere else&
<ccor#in to the "-==< (i#elines, online com)anies or websites can have )ersonal
information of a chil# if they are havin verifiable )arental consent& *ere is the eAcer)t from
the (i#eline&

(1) IN !N!"#L.$Not later than 1 year after the date of the ena%tment of this #%t, the
&ommission shall promulgate under se%tion ''( of title ', )nited States &ode, regulations
that$
http://www.clickonf5.org/14487/google-coppa-disquieted-sophie/
(#) re*uire the operator of any we+site or online ser,i%e dire%ted to %hildren that %olle%ts
personal information from %hildren or the operator of a we+site or online ser,i%e that has
a%tual -nowledge that it is %olle%ting personal information from a %hild$
(i) to pro,ide noti%e on the we+site of what information is %olle%ted from %hildren +y the
operator, how the operator uses su%h information, and the operators dis%losure pra%ti%es for
su%h information. and
(ii) to obtain verifiable parental consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal
information from children
, think !oole was havin o)tion to still have So)hie?s acco(nt with them after havin
verifiable consent from Daniel& <n# , #on?t think Daniel sho(l# have any )roblem with that&
6ich Barren, an i-S #evelo)er an# father of a irl, states that,

Se,eral years ago I set up a gmail a%%ount for my daughter so she %ould send email to her
grandparents. #t the +eginning of this s%hool year, she started using it mu%h more a%ti,ely to
send messages to her friends and %lassmates. She also started a +logger +log as a %lass
pro/e%t.
0hen, we wo-e up this morning to find that oogle had disa+led +oth her +log and her email
a%%ount1apparently +e%ause she is under age.
"emem+er, were tal-ing a+out letters from grandparents and friends. I %ant e,en log in and
+a%- them up. 0heyre /ust gone.
'his is not j(st abo(t Daniel?s an# 6ich?s #a(hters, the same thin is ha))enin with lot
many chil#ren havin !oole acco(nt& !oole is )romotin #ifferent activities like Doo#le
contest for ki#s an# at the same time they are not havin a rea#y )rocess to have their
acco(nts on the system& <ccor#in to 6ich, !oole alrea#y )rovi#es "-==< com)liant email
acco(nts for chil#ren (n#er 1> from their <))s for C#(cation #omains an# if that is the case
then !oole can accommo#ate the same )rocess in eneral as well&
"-==< is a))licable for each an# every website online, b(t as !oole is havin so many
)o)(lar services like Gmail, YouTube, Google+ and Blogger, )eo)le are (se# to it an# they
also want to have their ki#s online an# ettin benefits of these awesome services& , think its
time for !oole to think abo(t So)hie an# let the other ki#s stay online .of co(rse with their
verifiable )arental consent/& =ost yo(r views an# eA)eriences thro(h comments system
below an# let yo(r wor#s s)rea# thro(h #ifferent channels&