Cyberkids Privacy Policy

Our Principles
	(1) As recognized leaders in the area of children's online safety, we are fully committed to following laws related to the collection of data and protecting the privacy of kids and adults, and to adhering strictly to our carefully considered policy on data collection. This privacy policy strictly complies with the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which deals with children 12 and under, as well as the guidelines of the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU). (2) We value your privacy as much as you do. We take children's privacy very seriously. We are committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of each visitor who registers with us. (3) Able Minds will not give, trade, sell, or otherwise distribute the personal information you provide to us without your permission. (4) Able Minds reserves the right to analyze and summarize generic data that we collect. At times, we will share summaries of demographic data (e.g., percentages of girls vs. boys registered on our site) with sponsors or other business partners. We will never provide any specific identifying information (e.g. full name, home address, e-mail address, telephone number or any other information that would allow someone to identify or contact you) in any of these reports. (5) We value your time. Registration should only be required where absolutely necessary. It should be easy and painless and you should get something you feel is valuable in return.

When Does Cyberkids Require Registration or Ask for Personal Info?
	On Cyberkids, you do not need to register or provide us with any information in order to access Cyberkids, except for certain special technology features, such as posting messages, chatting, entering contests and drawings, downloading free software, or receiving our e-mail bulletins. After you fill out a fast, one-time registration form--and, if you are under 12, you print out the permission form and have your parent sign and return it--you can log into these areas anytime.

Why We Ask You to Register
	Registration is needed to enter the "Kids Connect" area, because US law requires that we get a parent's signed consent before a child is allowed to interact with others on our site. We believe one of the key benefits of the Internet is the opportunity it provides people to interact with others from different cultures. On our message boards, people on our staff check the postings regularly to delete inappropriate messages that may have slipped past our software filters. However, we cannot control what is said in our chat rooms. E-mail is required so that we can hold users accountable for their actions (for example in chat rooms and on message boards) and contact them quickly and efficiently without compromising their physical location. Having registration information like your e-mail also ensures that we can do things like notify you if you win a contest or drawing. If you have requested it during registration, you will, upon occasion, receive e-mail updates about our new activities and special services. If you would like us to stop sending these e-mail updates or need more information about our privacy policy, simply send a request to sysop@cyberkids.com. Finally, some of the information that is not required, but which you choose to voluntarily provide us during registration (e.g. your age, gender), genuinely helps us better deliver content to you. The more we know about what our visitors like, the better able we are to create the kind of site you want. Also, in order to remain a free site, this site is supported in part by responsible advertising. The information visitors like you provide helps us communicate with advertisers as to the type of people in general who visit this site, and ultimately to bring valuable, relevant advertising information to you. In many cases, our sponsors provide free prizes for drawings and contests, but they want to make sure our visitors really represent their audience. And to be really truthful, the more sponsorship dollars we can attract to Cyberkids, the more interesting things we can add to the site for your educational benefit and enjoyment. We strive for a relationship with our customers (that is, you) and our business partners in which everyone benefits.

What Info We Collect
	By law, a kids site may not require a child to disclose more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in an activity as a condition of participation. The only information we require that you supply to become a Registered Cyberkid is a nickname and your e-mail. We do not ask children 12 and under to supply their own e-mail address, but rather their parent's. We do not require real names or postal addresses. Instead you are invited to supply any nickname not registered by another Cyberkid. On our parental permission form, we do ask parents to voluntarily provide a small amount of additional personal information (child's gender, date of birth, and e-mail address). We only ask for very essential information that helps us learn more about the kids using our Web sites as a group (see section above), and again providing the information is completely voluntary. Occasionally, in voluntary surveys, we may ask visitors completely non-personal questions which are provided anonymously.

How We Collect Information
	We only collect information you voluntarily supply us. We stress parental involvement and permission before you supply information on our Web site. We explain in clear language easily understood by a child why any information is being requested and how it will be used. Unlike many sites, we do not currently use passive technologies, like "cookies" to track individual visitors to collect information about their computers and/or site activities without their knowledge. We do, at times, use cookies for your convenience on our Web site. For example, to use the Cyberkids message board, a temporary cookie is created so you don't need to log in again during the same session. When you quit your browser application, this cookie information isn't saved, so when you come to our site the next time you start your browser again, you will need to log-in once again. Again, at this time we are not using cookies to collect information about visitors. We will let you know if, and to what extent we do use them in the future.

Can Other Visitors See My E-mail Address?
	After you register in Cyberkids, other visitors cannot initially see the e-mail address you entered. You can change this preference because we know that many kids like to send each other e-mail, but we request that kids ask a parent for permission. Parents need to supervise their children's use of the Internet and e-mail. Our recommendation is that children should never tell strangers where they live, their phone number, or ever agree to meet them, at least not without the permission of a parent. One reason is that there is no way for us to prevent an adult from pretending to be a child.

You Have the Right to Change Your Registration Information
	Registered visitors are welcome to view, change or delete their registration information or to cancel their subscription at any time. To view your registration information, login to Kids Connect and click on "Preferences." To change or delete your personal information or your child's, or to cancel your subscription, e-mail us at sysop@cyberkids.com and indicate your nickname and e-mail address.

Contact Information (For Staff Maintaining Kids Personal Information)
	By law we are required to provide the name and contact information (address, telephone number and e-mail address) of all operators collecting or maintaining children's personal information through Cyberkids. (Note that under no circumstances will we ever give out a child's personal information unless they can definitively verify that it is the child's parent requesting the information): Personal Information Managers: Mark Richer Personal Information Contact: Mark Richer Cyberkids Club C/O Able Minds PO Box 188360 Washington, DC 20036 sysop@cyberkids.com Telephone: 720-404-5640 Fax: 720-528-7847

Your Right to Know if This Policy Changes
	By law web site operators are required to send parents a new notice and request for consent to if there is a material changes in the collection, use or disclosure practices to which the parent had previously agreed. Be assured we will let registered users know of any material changes in our privacy policy.

Message To Parents & Educators
	Able Minds urges children to check with parents before giving out any personal information. We strongly urge you to closely monitor your children's Internet activities and to become educated about Internet practices affecting children, and to educate us by telling us what is important to you in this area. If you have questions or concerns you can send an e-mail message to support@cyberkids.com.