Online Child Safety

Online child safety covers the protection of minors from harm on the internet, including contact with strangers, harmful content, data collection, and the effects of social media. Parents, schools, technology companies, state legislatures, Congress, and federal agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission all play a part.

Readers usually want to know what laws protect children online and who enforces them. They ask how age limits and parental consent work, what companies may collect from young users, and how efforts to protect children meet free speech and privacy concerns.