Child Safety Shouldn't Mean Surveillance: Why Parents Deserve a Seat at the Table
Built by parents, Protecting Kids Online puts real families at the center of the conversation about children's online safety.
Being a parent is stressful enough. Trying to keep your kids safe online can feel impossible.
Every week there’s a new headline, a new app, or another politician promising the latest “solution” to protect children. Too often, those solutions come with more government surveillance and less parental authority.
The truth is parents already have more power than they realize. Sometimes they just need the right information and the confidence to use it.
That’s why I’m excited to share I’ll be working with the brilliant Julie Barrett on a new national coalition called Protecting Kids Online.
I raised my daughter during the rise of social media, smartphones, and a world where everything suddenly became connected. Like so many parents, I had to figure it out as I went. There wasn’t a handbook. We were all learning in real time, trying to balance our children’s safety with giving them the freedom to grow, connect, and explore.
Julie Barrett and Protecting Kids Online
Julie, a Florida mom of four, found herself on a similar path after realizing lawmakers were making decisions about children that she believed belonged with parents.
“A few years ago the system decided the government knew better than I did about my own child,” she writes. “That pushed me into reading the bills… then into testifying against them.”
She believes many so-called child safety laws don't actually protect kids. Instead, they create surveillance infrastructure and call it safety.
That’s where Protecting Kids Online comes in.
The goal is simple: help parents understand the tools and resources they already have at their fingertips to protect their children while preserving their privacy and giving families, not the government, the ability to make informed decisions.
We’re also working to make sure parents have a voice with lawmakers before policies affecting their families are written.
As both a mom and a journalist, this mission is personal to me. Parents deserve practical information, real support, and a seat at the table.
If that’s something you believe in too, I hope you’ll join us at ProtectingKids.Online. We’d love to have you with us!
Connect with PKO
Jen’s Two Cents.
It’s that time of year again. Early mornings, fresh backpacks, new school supplies... and stacks of paperwork!
As your kids head back to school, keep an eye out for any AI, technology, or digital privacy permission forms.
If your school sends one home, please DM it to me. I’m comparing policies across school districts to see what schools are asking parents to approve and how those policies differ.
I’d love your help. Thank you!
Best wishes to all Arizona families, students, and teachers for a wonderful school year filled with learning, growth, and success.