(Honestly headline should be: “Utah bill gives parents full access to their children's online accounts, including posts and private messages”)
because they're often the first group these legislations aim at. It's no coincidence that the state in question is Utah, effectively run by the Mormon church with a strong interest in censoring youth access to the internet.
So no it's not just the gays who have to fear their parents.
They aren’t.
But they are a group particularly targeted right now, and targeted by legislation, and targeted by the same religious-social-political faction pushing this legislation even if this particular piece of legislation doesn’t overtly target them, so…its reasonably to pay particular attention to how this legislation affects them.
But precedented, through the history of parenting.
Some involved, worrying parents want to know their kids aren't getting mixed up with bad lifestyle habits or dangerous persons.
Luckily everyone grows up and when you're 18 you can move to a Democrat state never entering a church ever again.
Privacy, like any other form of autonomy, is in control of the parent and should be given out as part of the educational process.
18 perhaps is too old for the state to grant independence, but that's a problem in general and not restricted to privacy.
Counterpoint: Of coursw they are.
It's somewhat less extreme than the old medieval feudal that the feudal lord should be able to dictate their religious beliefs to their serf population, but not really by much.
Freedom of choice with respect to religious beliefs, and legal bans on religious discrimination, are a fundamental necessity in any democratic system of government. Additionally, children do have the right to privacy, just as adults do.
I see no problem with that.
Parents, as legal guardians, are legally liable for their childrens' actions. Parenting also necessitates having privileged knowledge of their childrens' circumstances and situations.
So no, I see no problem with parents having "full access to their children's online accounts". That is simply part of the duties and responsibilities as parents, and whether the parents exercise their authority is also their decision to make as they raise their children.
Whether parents would make full use of such authority is another story, of course. In most cases they probably won't, but the option to exercise must exist in order for parents to parent properly.
> Whether parents would make full use of such authority is another story, of course
The most abusive parents would use that access.
Cool, lets do that.
I witnessed and experienced the mental health crisis Tumblr caused. It's not worth it. Take all the kids off the internet. Save some lives.
1. Corporations?
2. Educators?
3. Strangers?
or
4. Parents?