SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog has endorsed the bipartisan, bicameral Do Not Track Kids bill introduced in Congress today, but added that all users of the Internet should be entitled to protection by a Do Not Track law.

“This bill would provide important protection for teens and is a significant step forward,” said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director. “However, ultimately what’s needed is a law that guarantees that all users of the Internet won’t be tracked when they don’t want their information taken.”

The fact that the bill was introduced in both houses of Congress and is sponsored by Democrats and Republicans underscores that privacy is a bipartisan concern, Consumer Watchdog said.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, (D-W.Va.) has introduced a general Do Not Track bill in the Senate.

The Do Not Track Kids bill, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and in the House by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), would:

• Prohibit Internet companies from collecting personal and location information from anyone under 13 without parental consent and anyone 13 to 15 years old without the user’s consent;
• Require consent of the parent or teen prior to sending targeted advertising to children and teens;  
• Establish a “Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens” that limits the collection of personal information of teens, including geo-location information of children and teens;
• Create an “Eraser Button” for parents and children by requiring companies to permit users to eliminate publicly available personal information content when technologically feasible; and
• Require online companies to explain the types of personal information collected, how that information is used and disclosed, and the policies for collection of personal information.

Read the Do Not Track Kids Act here: http://www.markey.senate.gov/documents/2013-11-14_Markey_DNTK.pdf

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