[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 1813, PERSONAL INFORMATION PRIVACY ACT

  (Mr. KLECZKA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to point out how our 
children's privacy is being violated. Last week the Wall Street Journal 
told how a jelly bean manufacturer uses its Web site to pump kids for 
personal information.
  Lured by a free sample of jelly beans, children are asked to give 
this company their name, address, gender, age, and where they shop. The 
fine print disclaimer states that any information disclosed is the 
property of the candy maker to use any way it wants.
  Jelly bean makers are not the only ones taking advantage of our 
children on the Net. Other on-line sites frequently require children to 
fill out questionnaires about themselves, their friends, and their 
family. This practice of prodding children for information on the Web 
is not only unethical, it is also dangerous. Not only can marketers use 
this information to further prey on our children, but it also leaves 
children vulnerable to wrongdoers who can victimize them.
  The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Bob Franks, and I have introduced 
H.R. 1813, the Personal Information Privacy Act, that would keep 
critical information about children and their families from becoming 
fodder for marketers and potential wrongdoers. I urge my colleagues to 
become a sponsor of H.R. 1813.

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