More than a dozen years ago I wrote a booklet for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children called Child Safety on the Information Highway. Millions of copies are in print and countless people have seen it online. The first item in the child safety rules was “I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.” But new research suggests that my Rule No.1 may have been an overstatement. (more…)

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is launching a new Web site to answer parents’ questions about Internet safety and computers. The free service features an interactive knowledge-base where parents can use natural language search to find information. If that’s not enough, there’s an “ask the experts” button that lets parents type in a question which will be answered by e-mail by real-life analysts at the center’s Alexandria, Va., headquarters.

Separately, the organization formerly known as ICRA — Internet Content Rating Association — announced on Tuesday that it’s re-launching itself as the Family Online Safety Institute, a Washington and London-based think tank to promote research and discussion about keeping kids safe online. (more…)