Date: January 14th 2008

REMINDER

Who's Minding the Kids? Surveillance in Three Online Playgrounds
Presented by Valerie Steeves

Date: Monday January 14, 2008
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: bitHeads, Inc.

Abstract

Children's personal information is an increasingly hot commodity in the information marketplace, and a number of online playgrounds aggressively collect kids' information. This presentation provides an overview of the information practices in three of those playgrounds -- Neopets, Barbie.com and Webkinz -- and examines the ways in which corporations invade children's privacy to manipulate their behaviour and embed commercial messages into their sense of identity. Interestingly, kids are both aware and unaware of the manipulative environment in which they play. The presentation accordingly concludes with a discussion of research findings regarding kids' attitudes about privacy and their thoughts about whether or not the current regulatory model, with its focus on notice and consent, can give them the kind of privacy protection they desire.

Bio

Valerie Steeves is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa. Her main area of research is the impact of new technologies on human rights issues. Professor Steeves has spoken and written extensively on privacy, and was the lead researcher for the Young Canadians in a Wired World research project, measuring the effect of new media on young people's privacy and social relationships. Ms. Steeves has appeared as an expert witness before a number of Parliamentary Committees regarding privacy legislation, and is a member of the Canadian Standards Association's Technical Committee on Privacy. She has also worked with a number of government departments to develop privacy education curriculum and materials. Her Web-based educational game Sense and NonSense won the first annual Excellence in Race Relations Education award from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation in 1998 and her game Privacy Playground was awarded the Bronze Medal at the 2006

Summit Creative Awards Competition, an international competition involving thousands of entries from 26 countries. In 2004, Professor Steeves was awarded the LaBelle Lectureship from McMaster University. The LaBelle is a juried prize that recognizes scholars doing interdisciplinary work and challenging accepted ideas.

Where and When?

This event will take place on Monday, January 14, 2008, 7-9 PM at bitHeads, Inc., located at 1309 Carling Avenue (in the Westgate Shopping Centre), Ottawa, ON K1Z 7L3 Canada.

bitHeads is located on the east side of the shopping centre, facing Island Park Drive and the Royal Ottawa Hospital. The bitHeads entrance is on the outside of the building next door to Pet Smart and Blockbusters.


-------------
Future Events
-------------

The CRC/NRC Virtual Classroom Program
Presented by John Spence, Martin Brooks, & Bruno Emond
Tuesday February 12, 2008, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, bitHeads

Early Childhood Learning, Cultural Play, and Open License Children’s Music with Songchild.org
Presented by Jason Nolan
Monday March 3, 2008, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, bitHeads