Father’s open letter to Google: ‘Thanks for making my daughter cry’

[steve2470]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/hey-google-thanks-for-making-my-daughter-cry/2011/12/12/gIQAhYx9pO_blog.html

Father Rich Warren sounded off Sunday on social media sites Reddit and Google+ about his upsetting morning: He had woken up to find that Google had suddenly, without warning, shut down his daughter’s e-mail account and blog. His daughter had used her Gmail to send e-mail to her grandparents, friends and classmates, and had started the Blogger blog as a class project.

Warren said he believed both accounts were disabled because his daughter was underage. Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Web sites collecting information from children under age 13 must take a number of steps to protect the child’s privacy. Warren says he’s not upset with Google for complying with COPPA, but how they went about it.

“Google could have made other choices — choices that are more customer friendly, more child friendly and more parent friendly. But they didn't,” he wrote on his Google+ account. “They've chosen to act apparently without ever considering how their actions might affect the people who use and rely on their services.”

Back in May, Google seemed to encourage children’s memories be shared on Gmail, YouTube, blogs and other services. In a viral video commercial dubbed “Dear Sophie,” a father is shown creating a Gmail account for his baby daughter, and then using it to send her photos, videos, and messages that chronicle her growing up, so that she can read and see them when she’s older:

*more at link above*

[seabeyond]

1. wait, the father didnt consider his actions allowing his underage daughter

to participate in this situation and then further didnt prep her to disappointment when google took actions and he is blaming google? hm.... says a parent

[steve2470]

2. excellent points, seabeyond nt

[MADem]

3. I have to agree with your POV--he didn't do due diligence. nt

[MindMover]

4. more, more, leave me alone.....

[Happyhippychick]

5. Hey dad, prepare your child for the path. Don't try to prepare the path for your child, it will

never work.

[Enrique]

6. imagine all the people crying because of DU3

i hope you're happy, Skinner.

[alphafemale]

7. Sounds like someone is on their way toward creating an insufferable brat. nt

[hobbit709]

8. Life isn't all unicorns and rainbows. The sooner you learn the better you will be.

[Cal Carpenter]

9. There are plenty of reasons to bitch about Google

but *protecting YOUR underage daughter* isn't one of them.

Good lord.