Internet Safety Blog
A Wish List on International Data Privacy Day
by Lynette T. Owens Online privacy has been a hotly debated topic for a while now, and it has intensified as greater numbers of people from multiple generations are finally adopting new devices and applications. When you start researching the...
CES Musings from a Mom & Internet Safety Advocate
By Lynette T. Owens The 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held in Las Vegas Convention Center this past January 6-9 and showcased everything from cars and robotic vacuum cleaners to holographic displays and advances in...
Your Family’s Privacy and the Xbox 360 Kinect
By Lynette Owens Santa was very good to my kids this Christmas. They were thrilled to discover that even though they both asked for a Nintendo Wii, they awoke on December 25 to find an Xbox Kinect waiting for them. It is quite a leap from Atari...
Continuing the Fight Against Online Child Pornography
By Lynette T. Owens Today, we announced our membership to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) based in the UK. This has enabled us to expand the fight we began earlier this year to stop the online distribution of child sexual abuse images when we...
What the U.S. FTC’s ‘Do Not Track’ List Means to You and Your Kids
By Lynette T. Owens The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is pushing for consumer privacy legislation that would give you the ability to stop websites from tracking your surfing habits. Sites track you partly to make your surfing experience easier –...
Teen Cyberbullying Video Makes it to Times Square
By Lynette T. Owens Earlier this year, we ran a video contest called “What’s Your Story?” with the goal of engaging and educating young people on various topics related to their Internet safety. One of the winning videos called “Pull the Plug on...
New Facebook Privacy Guide for Parents
By Lynette T. Owens Today, our good friends at Connectsafely, together with the iKeepSafe Coalition, announced A Parents’ Guide to Facebook, a detailed resource that provides parents with step-by-step guidance on how to help their teens maintain...
Will Withholding Funds Make Internet Safety Education Happen in Schools?
By Lynette T. Owens Just over a year ago, I had the good fortune to meet with the IT director of our local school district, a district which includes about 5, 000 students attending 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. During...
Anti-bullying Education: Start Young and Start Collaborating
By Lynette T. Owens My daughter’s backpack always comes home filled with interesting things – art projects, homework assignments, half-eaten lunches. Two days ago, an unexpected letter was there. It notified us that the students at her...