Everyday on the Internet your children's favorite cartoon characters are asking them for personal information--their names, ages, gender, e-mail addresses, most wanted toys. One website asks kids to tell who gives them gifts and whether any of those presents are stocks, savings bonds, mutual funds and cash. Children innocently give this information as a prerequisite to entering website contests and winning prizes. They have no idea that their personal data will be used by companies to market products to kids.

A recent Federal Trade Commission survey of over 200 commercial children's web sites revealed that over 90 percent collected personal information from kids. 54 percent of these sites offered statements about their information gathering methods. A paltry 23 percent suggested that kids obtain parental permission before surrendering personal information while only 1 percent required written parental approval before submission.

These marketing practices are shameless and prey on kids' natural trust and vulnerability. Younger school-age children cannot be expected to realize that there are negative consequences connected with filling out a contest application form. For them it's all about getting pen pals, prizes and free newsletters. It's about fun.

Armed with the knowledge of these Internet marketing ploys, parents need to remind their kids never to give any personal information over the Internet--under any circumstances. With little kids, explain this as an extension of your family rule about never giving any personal information to strangers. With older kids, tell them that they have to be careful not to be tricked into giving out any personal data. Explain what the companies are doing with this information. Go on these sites with them and challenge them to show you how these companies are persuading kids to give them personal information. This approach appeals to kids' natural desires to outsmart grownups, to prove they can't be tricked.

Congress will soon be voting on legislation that restricts Internet companies' solicitation of personal data from children. Internet companies are already claiming that they can self-regulate. Don't wait for either of them to stop this exploitation of your kids. Help your kids become cyber-savvy when it comes to these marketing tactics. Monitor your kids' Internet use on these sites because it's difficult for them to resist these seductive marketing strategies. Make family privacy a computer commandment.