# Neopets.com Safe for kids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081 "2004-09-25T22:20:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PecanSandy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PecanSandy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PecanSandy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/1 "2004-09-25T22:20:49Z")
My children (aged 9 and 10) have become addicted ro Neopets. I take all the reasonable precautions and have discussed cyber stalking and how people can pretend they are a kid when they are an adult online. Neopets seems ok, but I’m a bit owrried about the “neofriends” with whom they correspond. So, is Neopets safe for kids if the parent takes resonable precautions? ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/2 "2004-09-26T01:14:53Z")
I can’t say with any real certainty how safe it is, but my 12 and 10 year old kids have neopets. When they signed up they had to fill in their ages, they are not allowed to have neofriends or use the message board there. Here’s what it says on the neopets website about safety. [http://www.neopets.com/safetytips.phtml](http://www.neopets.com/safetytips.phtml) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/3 "2004-09-26T01:48:33Z")
What’s a Neopet? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/4 "2004-09-26T02:02:31Z")
The biggest problem I had with Neopets was the spam. In order to get certain rewards and things, you had to sign up for mailing lists. This was a couple of years ago, and I don’t know if they still do it, but I strongly disapproved of it. This may not be a problem for you if you kids have their own email accounts… but if they are using your address, then you will suddenly find yourself receiving marketing emails on all kinds of things that you probably have no interest in. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/5 "2004-09-26T02:31:22Z")
The children in question are under 13, so based on the website’s privacy policy, they shouldn’t receive spam. However, that doesn’t answer the question about “newfriends.” > [@](#): > > At [Neopets.com](http://Neopets.com), the only personally identifiable information we collect from users 12 years old and younger is a valid e-mail address. And, we ONLY use this information to send these users one message to activate their Neopets account, and then the e-mail address is completely removed from our system. We also ask users 12 years old and under for certain non-personally identifiable information, such as birth date, gender, and country. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/6 "2004-09-26T02:38:05Z")
Neopets has a very strict filter on all neomails moving through their system. It filters out any salacious word you can imagine. One time I was talking to a friend about rubber nipples on baby bottles and the server wouldn’t send that. They also filter the message board pretty strictly. I wouldn’t be worried if I were you – at _all_. Truly. I don’t even think they can give out their email address through the neomail system. It’s very secure. If you are worried, you can always email an administrator of the board and ask about their security precautions. But really I wouldn’t waste time thinking about it. It’s harmless. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neopets-com-safe-for-kids/266081/7 "2004-09-26T03:27:37Z")
Ivygirl plays on neopets. She has her e-mail account through our ISP, and I’ve set it up so she can only receive e-mails from those people whose addresses I’ve put on her list. Never had a problem.