• SpeedChat is a menu-based tool that provides players with over 200 pre-written phrases and sentences that are used to communicate between one another. SpeedChat adapts for each avatar (players' character) based on the Tasks they have been assigned and allows a dynamic means of safe and easy communication among players. In fact, the system has performed so well that player feedback indicates that many adult players rely exclusively on SpeedChat communication.
• For those players who prefer full, open communication within the game there is the Secret Friends option. Secret Friends allows two players who know each other outside the game to chat freely within the game environment. By exchanging a time-sensitive secret password-generated by the game and exchanged via some external (not in-game) form of communication-two players can chat freely with one another. These chat messages are filtered for obscenities and sensitive information such as addresses and phone numbers, and are incomprehensible to other Toons in the vicinity. As an additional safety feature, a parental password is required to unlock the Secret Friends functionality. Once the Secret Friends option is enabled by parents, they can then choose to require parental password permission each time a new Secret Friend is added.

What the Experts Say: Online Safety and Cyberlaw Expert Parry Aftab
"Toontown is fun and safe. It's rare that parents and kids can agree on anything online, but Toontown beats all the odds. It was designed with kids' safety and privacy at its core, not added as an afterthought. The safety features are integrated into every aspect of the game. Parents will appreciate that. And it's so much fun that kids won't notice how safe it is.

"Not only did I test the game and its safety features, I asked my teen Internet safety experts, the Teen Angels, to put it to the test. According to my teen testers, it allows them to play games online without having to worry about interacting with strangers or receiving unwanted communications. And they had a blast playing the game. In fact, our teen testers enjoyed it so much that we couldn't get them to stop testing the game."

"It's not easy being a parent with children online. There are real risks to our children's safety and privacy. We have to say "no" to so many things they want to do online. How nice it is to be able to say "yes" to what our children enjoy most without having to worry that they may be approached by strangers online or run into inappropriate content. With Toontown, we don't have to choose between giving our children permission to do what they enjoy most online - playing interactive games-and being safe anymore. It's a win/win...something parents don't find everyday."

"And it's not just parents who are worried about online safety and privacy. Kids hate having to deal with inappropriate communications when they are trying to have fun online. They value their privacy and security almost as much as their parents do. Toontown gives kids a chance to experience some of the best features of the Internet - interactivity and community - without worrying about the Internet's darker side."

Parry Aftab Biography

Parry Aftab is the executive director of Wired Safety (www.wiredsafety.org), the world's largest online safety and help group, a mother of two and a lawyer specializing in internet privacy and security law. She works closely with law enforcement worldwide to help keep children safe online and writes frequently on cyberlaw topics. Her books, including The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace, have helped parents around the world. She is a specialist in online privacy and consults with many multinational organizations and governments on Internet law and electronic commerce. Parry is a member of the National Urban League's Technology Advisory Committee, Sesame Street's advisory board, the Ad Council's Advisory Committee, and TRUSTe's board of directors. She was elected to chair The Internet Society's Societal Task Force and is a member of their Public Policy Committee. She can be reached at parry@aftab.com.

Disney and Internet Safety
Since the launch of its first Internet site in 1995, the Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) has been committed to promoting both Internet safety practices for children and parental involvement in kids' online experiences. For example, Larry Shapiro, a WDIG executive was appointed to the COPPA Commission on Child Online Protection which delivered a report to Congress on methods to reduce and restrict access to harmful material for minors on the Internet and our business was an early leader in implementing COPPA guidelines. Disney Online was also a founding member of GetNetWise, an online resource for families, and dedicates a permanent home for privacy and safety.

In addition to championing and participating in numerous public education outreach programs which focus on safety, WDIG and its Disney Online group host extensive, original interactive content from trusted brands, and offer a variety of community tools that empower parents to control who their children interact with online.

Parents interested in additional online safety information can visit Surfswell Island (www.surfswellisland.com), a Disney Online Web site that provides kids and families with an entertaining and interactive way to learn valuable lessons about "smart surfing."