This doesn't seem like a step in the right direction...

[Spooky]

A Feature in Windows 10 might "Out" LGBT children to their parents.  


I'm all for parents having a bit of control over the internet usage in their homes, but I'm not sure what to think of this?

What do the masses think?

[Foxaèr]

might

I think it is a conspiracy as most things are that concern the word might.

[Minimalist]

I'm sure most kids turn it off.  They are far more techno-savvy than their parents.

[abaris]

It doesn't seem to be especially targeted at LGBT. It just tells them all the websites they visited.

I'm kinda split on this, since on the one hand, if you have children, you have to have some kind of control over their internet habits. But on the other hand, there's that part of me saying, none of your business.

[brewer]

To much 1984/Big Brother.

[Aroura]

Oh gosh, that's difficult. On the one hand, teens need privacy (especially LGBT teens who's parents are bigots). On the other hand, as a parent, it is my right to look at my kids browser history, for her own safety, and to set the limits I think are appropriate.

Sounds like the software needs to be changed so it does not alert parents when the child/teen goes to non-adult sites that still discuss things like sexuality, like this site for instance.

[IATIA]

It will not be long before someone comes up with an app that intercepts it and sends random 'good' data to the parents. If one is not watching what their children are doing, then they do not know what their children are doing. Do not trust a 'Nanny' for the important things in a child's life.

[Foxaèr]

Children should be allowed to be children and teenagers should be allowed to be teenagers. In essence, taking away a right of growing up is what is happening.

[Pyrrho]

It doesn't seem to be especially targeted at LGBT. It just tells them all the websites they visited.

I'm kinda split on this, since on the one hand, if you have children, you have to have some kind of control over their internet habits. But on the other hand, there's that part of me saying, none of your business.

The amount of control one should have over one's children depends on many things, such as their age.  A 6 year old and a 12 year old are vastly different, and they are vastly different from a 16 year old.  What one should allow and what one should prevent and what one should watch is rather variable.  Unfortunately, children are at the mercy of their parents on this, and parents vary a great deal in how reasonable they are and in how nice they are.

If I were a parent (and I wisely avoided all of these sorts of problems by deciding not to be a parent), I would let my child know what I was watching and what I was not watching in advance, with the tightest controls and watching when young, with things loosening over time.  I would not do clandestine spying on my children.  I don't think that is a good thing, as it tends to erode trust both ways.  I would want my children to be able to trust me, and I would want to be able to trust them.

Of course, I am also not going to be upset if my daughter turns out to be a lesbian, so I am not everyone.  (In fact, my wife and I would break out the Champagne if we had a daughter who turned out to be a lesbian, as there would be less worry about a teen pregnancy or STDs.)

[Thumpalumpacus]

I monitored my son's internet usage until he was 14 or so. He earned my trust.