Are your children safe while online? Michigan families, especially minors, are becoming inundated with advertisements from alcohol, tobacco, pornography and gambling marketers through different internet and cell phone inboxes. Texting their advertisements is the newest marketing effort that many of these companies are using. Thankfully, the State of Michigan offers a free program to stop adult advertisements from reaching e-mails, mobile phones (text messaging ads) and instant messenger IDs. The Michigan Child Protection Registry, like the federal Do Not Call List, is a free do-not-contact service for Michigan’s families and can be located at www.ProtectMIChild.com.
As a strong supporter of this registry, I would like to encourage you to sign your entire family up for the registry and inform your friends and colleagues about how they can protect children and families from unwanted adult advertising. To sign up only takes seconds. Just go to www.ProtectMIChild.com and keep your family safe. www.protectMIchild.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Michigan Child Protection Registry?
The Michigan Child Protection Registry was created by the Michigan State Legislature in 2004 as a do-not-contact service for Michigan families. The Michigan Child Protection Registry is a free, state administered program that allows Michigan’s families to protect their households from adult-oriented messages.
2. What addresses are eligible for registration?
You can register e-mail addresses, mobile phone numbers (SMS), instant messenger IDs, and fax numbers.
3. What types of adult-oriented messages are my addresses protected from?
Family’s sign up their addresses are protected from messages that advertise pornography, tobacco, illegal drugs, alcohol, and gambling. The newest effort for these types of companies is to text their ads to any cell phone numbers they can find.
4. Does the registry only protect children?
No. The Michigan Child Protection Registry can include:
– Family addresses (both adults and children)
– Addresses in a household where a child is present
– School domains (students and educators)
5. How much does it cost to sign up my addresses?
This is a free program offered to residents by the State of Michigan.
6. How do I sign up my addresses? Registering your addresses is quick and easy. Go to www.protectmichild.com, click “Protect Your Household Addresses”, and follow the steps to register your household addresses.
7. How can I send my friends information on how to register?
To send your friends, family, co-workers and neighbor’s information on how to register, simply send them a “refer a friend” e-mail after you register, and an automatic message on the Registry will be sent to their inbox.
8. How often do I need to renew the registration of my addresses?
Registrations last for three years with the option to renew at any time. You will receive a notification e-mail reminding you that the three year time period has expired.
9. Are my addresses safe?
Senders of messages are NEVER given registered addresses. Marketers and companies are required to submit their solicitation lists to the state, where all registered addresses are then removed and returned to the sender.
10. What if I receive an adult message after I sign up my addresses?
If you are contacted with a message to a registered address, you should submit the report to the Division of Consumer Protection. The process is easy and allows you to help the state investigate those companies who are not complying with Michigan’s Child Protection Registry Laws.
11. Which state office administrates the Michigan Child Protection Registry?
The Michigan Child Protection Registry is administered by the Michigan Public Service Commission and enforced by the State Attorney General’s Office.
Marketers pay a fee of .007 cents for each address they scrub to the state registry. Funds generated by the program are set aside to fund the Attorney General’s Office in the maintenance and upkeep for the program.