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Online Children's Surveys: Mapping the Minefield
In the face of mounting parental concern about companies' use of the Internet to survey their children, US research agency Regulus Communications, Inc. has established a tracking project, The Research Monitor, to guide companies regarding best practice and help them avoid becoming the legal target of angry parents.
A report from the study will be published quarterly beginning in October 2004 and will track research participation and preferences by kid consumers. The study is conducted through the Young Author's Magazine Anthologies(r) program (YAM), and was prompted by an earlier survey which found 81% of parents in the program to be 'very concerned' about the growing intrusions into their kids' lives by the Internet - especially companies doing market research.
The study tracks nine research techniques, from Internet panels to mystery shopping; the most important Internet privacy issues for kids and parents; and the potential for legal actions by parents against intrusive sponsors of market research. Following the recent action by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the Child Online Privacy Act, 67% of parents say they will now consider legal action against companies surveying their kids without written permission, and over 11% have discussed legal action against a sponsor of the research with an attorney.
Specifically, Regulus says the purpose of The Research Monitor is 'to serve as a strategic assessment guide for selecting market research services and methodologies for researching with kids on line, and to keep research sponsors, marketing directors, brand managers, consumer groups, market researchers and parents informed about potentially intrusive market research methodologies'.
More information about the study and a Table of Contents can be found at www.regulus.com
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