4 Friday, September 8, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com One day, my daughter and her friend started looking at stuff on the Internet. They watched "Descendants" YouTube videos, played online games and checked out a fall preview for a new TV show. The next day I noticed that, when she surfed, her tablet displayed ads for travel to Disney. No big deal. Except she was also getting ads for an online company selling vaping products. A quick glance at her browser history and I saw she'd searched for "Big Smoky Mountain" instead of the Disney ride "Big Thunder Mountain." Hence the connection. Welcome to the era of tracking programs, which follow our every move on the Internet. I recall my brother's wedding planning last spring and the ads for flower girl dresses that kept popping up. There were also ads for stuff I'd recently been searching for showing up in the sidebar or banners. Usage tracked Advertisers are watching our online usage using embedded technology. They're collecting data on our internet use, including our children's, to understand behavious or marketing preferences. Children's browsing history, app usage, and even their locations are collected for use in marketing and advertising. Tracking what our kids do online means more information about our children is out there. Kids who chat online and use social media get tracked most often and it isn't just by marketers. Most of us realize that when we go online and click those "allow" tabs without reading, companies might be collecting or selling personal data on us for advertising purposes. Many of us make the assumption, however, that when we let our children use "kid-friendly" apps from trusted companies, our kids are safe from privacy violations. But this isn't always the case. Disney is currently defending a class-action lawsuit as some of its online video games did not require adult authorization for children's information to be tracked. In the U.S., state laws and protections plus a dedicated federal law, The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), protects children's online privacy. But in Canada, there's no privacy law specific to children. Online privacy in Canada is governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act(PIPEDA). But the unique needs of children aren't specifically protected. PIPEDA requires organizations involved in commercial activity to obtain meaningful consent, yet it can be difficult to obtain meaningful consent from children. While the office recommends to avoid tracking children and using websites aimed at children, this practice happens extensively. Delete and block? In this era of evolving technology and data management challenges, it's good to be concerned. So, do I ban my daughter's online activity completely? Sure, I could delete and block cookies on her tablet, but I'm likely not getting them all. Moreover, the tracking technology is not deleted when I remove regular cookies from our computer. I realize I need to watch the types of ads targeting my daughter a little more closely. Today a department store is promoting bras to my daughter…something she clearly doesn't need…well, not at least for a few more years. Watching your kids online activity? It's not just you… Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown A Brooklin Toddler's Random Thoughts "It's been a tough week." WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Sunday Services at 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Care www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin! Advertise With Us... www.brooklintowncrier.com Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Sat., Sept. 9: 2-3:30 - Whitby Ringette free on-ice introduction An hour of on-ice fun events and introductory drills with experienced coaches and players. Girls aged 4 and up. Just bring your skates and a helmet. We'll supply the rest and some snacks. Iroquois Park Arena - Pad 1 Sat., Sept. 9: 1 - 5 pm - G-Moms of Port Perry Present "Birder Murders" Written by Steve Burrows, author of Birder Murder series On Reach Road, Uxbridge - Exact location will be on purchased tickets. Also view film "A Murder of Crows" by Susan Flemming. Marketplace for bird and nature-themed purchases. Free refreshments Tickets $20 each from Presents, Presents, Presents in Uxbridge or by calling Judy at (905) 471-4651 Sat., Sept. 16: 9 am - 3:30 pm - Thickson's Woods Nature Festival Learn about nature from the experts! Guided nature walks, bugs and botany ID, beekeeping demonstration, live wild animals and birds to meet, arts and crafts, silent auction, bake sale, refreshments, Thickson's Woods merchandise, and more! Tickets at the gate: $5 adults, $2 children, $10 family (cash only). Thickson's Woods is at the foot of Thickson Road, south off Hwy.401 in Whitby. For information, visit thicksonswoods.com or phone 905-433-7875 Fri., Sept. 22: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Sun., Sept. 24: 7:00 pm - Brooklin Pub Quiz Night $15 per person for a team of 4-8 but teams of 6 are best. Team gets a platter of wings and fries and a mug of beer. Winning team receives a $10 gift certificate per person to return to the Brooklin Pub. All proceeds to Pulmonary Hypertension of Canada. Hints: 1. Archer Fish 2. Agra. Contact Carolyn at 905-449-1162 Wed., Sept. 27: 7 - 9 pm - Brooklin Horticultural Society meeting Speaker Edith George will lead a discussion on "Heritage Trees - What is a Heritage Tree & Why are we protecting them." Also featuring our Autumn Show. Enjoy refreshments, pick up draw tickets & speak with our gardening experts. Brooklin United Church, 19 Cassels Rd. E. Mondays: 6:30-7 pm: French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon-Fri CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 Identity theft cases are becoming more common among kids. A 2012 U.S. report revealed that 140,000 children in the U.S. every year are victims of identity theft. It also indicated that nearly 11 per cent of children have someone else using their social security number. It is creeping into Canada. In 2016, the RCMP and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported 119 complaints of child identity theft of victims under 19. With 65 cases reported in the last six months, the danger is something that is definitely a concern. Daniel Williams for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says, "These numbers are just a fraction, as most cases go unreported." The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre logs as many as 25,000 calls each year about everything from identity theft to phishing schemes and employment scams. Kelley Keehn, author of "Protecting You and Your Money: A Guide to Avoiding Identity Theft and Fraud," points out, "Often the thief is the person you least suspect. Studies in recent years have found that up to 70 per cent of identity thefts are committed by someone the victim knows, often a friend, relative or in-home employee." Who They Target: Children aged 6-11 are most vulnerable to fraud. Since most parents monitor their children's activity at this age, it's easier to spot. "Once A Special BTC Feature: Child Identity Theft: Is Your Child Vulnerable? By Leanne Brown ... continued on next page.