Britney Spears’ official Web site has been modified to comply with a federal law protecting children’s online privacy.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which went into effect in April 2000, requires web sites that cater to children under 13 to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information or allowing it to be posted on the site. Now that the changes have been made, children under 13 who visit the site will need parental permission before using interactive features like message boards and e-mail service.
According to the Better Business Bureau’s children’s advertising review unit, the site (http://britneyspears.com) had been collecting personal information on visitors under the age of 13. In February, the BBB children’s unit contacted Signatures Network, the firm which maintains the site, and requested that the changes be made. According to Reuters, the federal government was not involved, and Signatures Network acted swiftly to comply with the law. Spears and her Signatures Network also installed a tracking device on the site to prevent visitors from changing their ages to bypass the screening mechanism.