Student Privacy Laws
Student Safety Laws
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| Photo Source: GIPHY |
Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) are both regulations aimed at protecting children online. CIPA focuses on ensuring that schools and libraries that receive federal funds for internet access install the appropriate measures to protect children from harmful content. Schools and libraries must use polices and filters to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content. COPPA is more about safeguarding a child's online privacy. It places restrictions on the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13. If websites are covered by COPPA, children must receive consent from a parent or guardian before collecting data on the child. I agree that 13 is a good age for these requirements. Although there are pros for these privacy laws I believe that they need to be modified as technology continues to advance.
Cons
As an educator, I have noticed some flaws on CIPA. This internet filter implemented in my school district often times overblocks content. For example, I tried to use a food chain simulation game with my class during our unit. This is the website. When I tried to have students access it on their devices it was blocked. Then I had to contact our technology staff to override it for the lesson. I'm not sure why it was blocked because it is an educational game. Here is the link to the website! This is a valuable resource that should not be blocked in an educational setting. Although the filters often overblock they also fail to block inappropriate content. This also some harmful material to slip through the cracks and exposes children to content that is not suitable for their age or maturity level.
COPPA places responsibility on parents to protect their child's privacy. The parents may not be aware of the risks or may not have the time or resources to properly monitor their children's online activities. According to Danah Boyd this teaches kids to lie about their age. I was one of those kids in middle school wanting social media when it came out. My mom did not monitor what accounts I was creating and I would make up an age to create the account. This always worked and I know there are so many other kids now that are doing the same as I did in the early 2000's.
Additionally, CIPA and COPPA were created before the widespread of smartphones and social media usage. As technology evolves, these laws may need to be updated to address new challenges and threats effectively.
I'd argue that parents need to make the time to monitor what their child is accessing and not leave it to government policies to do this for them! I agree, however, that there need to be an entirely different set of regulations in place to address today's access to information through smartphones.
ReplyDeleteHi Mayci,
ReplyDeleteOver blocking wasn't something I had considered! I'm very familiar with under blocking since back in the day everyone and their cousin had a roundabout way to continue accessing sites they weren't supposed to be on. Thank you for the perspective that it's also hindering educators and should be revised for that reason along with needing revision for student safety. (Also, cute game!)