Newport companies which innocently respond to an e-mail from a young person in America could suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of a trans-Atlantic lawsuit, a marketing chief has warned.

They could fall foul of America's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, according to Christine Cryne, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

The new US child legislation forbidding any company in the world to collect data about American youngsters under 13 years was just one example of why marketers needed to take a global view, she said.

The institute is working to increase its credibility with company decision-makers.