321chat & kids don't mix

Heads up, parents of avid communicators: 321chat.com provides chatrooms specifically for kids and teens but doesn't protect their privacy. It's just one chat site but a clear illustration of how unmonitored chat puts kids at risk. Watchdog CARU, the Children's Advertising Review Unit of the New York-based Council of Better Business Bureaus, has referred the site to the Federal Trade Commission for a ruling against the site because it's not compliant with the US Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which CARU helps enforce. Because of this action, the site, with ads that link to adult-oriented dating sites right where children enter chat, temporarily shut down its "Kid Chat" room, designated for children 9-13. But CARU says that's not enough. Please see my newsletter this week for details.