Now Pouring: Soda Pledges, Politics & Public Health

Nov. 7, 2014 Election Outcome: Historic passage and precedent of  Berkeley vote on soda tax; synopsis article via SF Gate on why Berkeley passed a soda tax and SF didn't. Oct. 8, 2014 Update: NYTimes' … [Read more...]

Food Marketing to Kids: Occupy Wall Street Applies Here, Too

Oct. 16, 2011 It's Blog Action Day today which coincides with United Nations' World Food Day, so my contribution among 80 countries participating is about food policy, profiteering and public health. … [Read more...]

FTC Food Marketing to Kids Update: Are Watchdogs All Bark No Bite?

Sept. 9, 2010 Where are we now with the whole junk food marketing to kids/obesity prevention discussion? Feels like we’ve been TALKING about "candy bars for breakfast" and citing Pink Princess … [Read more...]

Toxic Teen Messaging In A K-Mart/Alloy Episodic: The First Day

September 1, 2010 It’s the first of September, as the first day of school angst bubbles up throughout the nation on either side of this ‘premiere’ week. (many have started school already, some are … [Read more...]

COPPA: Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Filing

July 1, 2010 For those mumbling, "COPPA schmoppa, there goes Amy into policy wonk land, please translate media jargon into usable tidbits" I'll offer a few primers... What is COPPA? Why do we … [Read more...]

Iger the Ignorant? Disney Chief Says Kids Don’t Care About Privacy?

July 24, 2009 Hey, kids, did you know the mouse house thinks it’s okay to mine your personal information and sell it to advertisers to make a buck off your back without your permission? Wonder what … [Read more...]

Childrens’ Digital Privacy Advocates Show FTC Watchdogs Aren’t Woofin

June 18, 2009 Here we go again. I'm beginning to feel a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day having deja vu that we've 'been there done that' all over again.  Oh, that's right. We HAVE. Over a … [Read more...]

Kids Online UnConference: Everyone Has An Agenda, Including YOU!

November 13, 2008: Be there for the Kids Online: Balancing Fun and Safety Unconference! A few years back when I heard the geek/chic term “UnConference” I immediately thought it must be … [Read more...]

Youth Data Mining 101: Privacy Breaches, Opt-Outs, ToolBar Add-Ons

"Holy data-sucking, Batman!" (no, not one of the boy wonder's bat quotes...but it should be...) In this SkypeJournal article called Batman, the Surveillance Society and Moral Design, the … [Read more...]