Proposed California Bill 242 (the Social Networking Privacy Act) will insist new users to social networking sites establish their privacy settings before having access to the main site. Facebook currently allows for certain member information to be viewed by the public and it is the responsibility of the user to set their own privacy settings after joining. The bill enables parents to request their child’s information be taken down within 48 hours or the social network will face a fine of up to $10,000.

The proposed bill has potentially far reaching effects, ranging from large monetary fines for social media websites to issues of how user friendly social media sites can be harder to use. For this instance, lets concentrate on the issue of privacy and the right of the parents as well as underage users.

First, should California or any other state concern itself with passing legislation that allows for parents/guardians to filter or control the content of their child’s page? Is legal recourse warranted when a parent is trying to mitigate potentially harmful personal information on their child’s profile? Bill 242 brings up several issues of concern regarding user privacy and child protection in the ever evolving realm of social media and the role government plays.

Considering the proposed legislation, what effects do you see it having on parent’s rights or the privacy of the underage users?!?!

Time to weigh in……..