Web Site Allows Kids to Safely Chat, Game

Disney has acquired Club Penguin, a social networking Web site for children too young for MySpace and Facebook, the Washington Post said Friday.

Designed for children 14 and under and launched less than two years ago, Club Penguin has registered more than 12 million users, largely without marketing, the Post said.

Disney executives said the deal could be worth as much as $700 million, depending on Club Penguin’s performance.

The company wants to invest in sites that protect children from adult content and contact from strangers, said Steve Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group.

It’s a critical priority, he said. This is one of the many types of entertainment that kids can and should be exposed to.

Wadsworth told the Post Disney does not plan to advertise on Club Penguin, but will sell premium memberships for $5.95 a month.

However, Peggy S. Meszaros, director of the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth and Families at Virginia Tech, warned it is dangerous to believe that any company in business to make money has the consumer interest at heart.

She also stressed the importance of reading, outdoor exercise and social interaction to a child’s development.