• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, October 4, 2006

More than two-thirds of kids between the ages of 8 and 14 are Web users, and many members of that group are spending money online, according to a new report by research company eMarketer.

Around 67 percent of U.S. children 8-11 are online, while 74 percent of kids ages 12-14 are on the Web today, per eMarketer estimates. By 2010, those proportions are expected to soar to 71 percent (ages 8-11) and 85 percent (ages 12-14).

Kids aren't just surfing the Web; they're also spending money online. Citing estimates from Packaged Facts, eMarketer states that tweens accounted for $9.7 billion in spending last year.

eMarketer also advises advertisers that these youngsters can be reached "everywhere"--at social-networking sites like MySpace.com, downloading music, instant messaging and the like.

But before marketers go overboard trying to reach tweens, they should remember that federal law restricts their ability to collect data from children under the age of 13. In fact, social networking site Xanga.com was just fined $1 million for violating the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal info from kids under 13, and using the information to send them targeted ads.