US lawmakers release draft online child privacy act

[JURIST] US Representatives Edward Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX) [official websites] released a draft bill [text, PDF] Friday that would restrict companies from tracking the Internet activity of minors without parental consent. The Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011 would amend existing federal law passed in 1998 due to changes in the internet and studies demonstrating the increased use of the internet by children. The new legislation would prevent companies from using the information of Internet users under…