No Tests in Schools for Marketers?
Schools could be put off-limits for marketing research. The House of Representatives is considering a bill that would prohibit schools from letting kids participate in market research without parents’ written permission. The Student Protection Privacy Act, sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), would extend existing protection of official records and federally funded research, and includes plans for a study on commercialism in schools.
When he presented the bill Sept. 22, Miller gave examples of intrusive marketing tactics, such as kids filling out 27-page journals for a cable TV network, two-day-long cereal taste tests, and free computers in exchange for schools monitoring kids’ Web browsing habits.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
