New research by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), released on 29 October 2024, sheds light on how children between the ages of 9 and 17 navigate the online landscape and their perspectives on data rights. The longitudinal project, Children's Data Lives, tracks 30 children over time to understand the role data plays in their daily lives.
The findings reveal that while children regularly share personal information through apps and digital platforms, they seldom recognise this as data sharing or consider the implications of their data rights. Younger children tend to view technology as a source of play and engagement, driven by visually appealing elements and game-like features. In contrast, older children are more concerned with social dynamics, using privacy features to manage their online personas in response to peer perceptions.
Despite a desire for privacy, the pursuit of popularity often overrides privacy considerations, leading some to forgo engaging with privacy settings and policies. Additionally, the study highlights a tendency among children to share their real-time locations, reflecting a belief that such sharing signifies closeness in relationships.
The children involved showed a limited understanding of data usage by companies, perceiving the risks as abstract compared to the social implications of sharing personal information. Many felt compelled to provide their data to access essential services, sometimes resulting in inaccuracies in the information they submitted to bypass age restrictions. Overall, for these children, the exchange of data has become an integral part of accessing their online worlds.
A separate statement from Emily Keaney, ICO Deputy Commissioner for Regulatory Policy, highlighted that the ICO specifically asked 11 companies to explain issues relating to default privacy settings, geolocation or age assurance and to show how their approach conforms with the Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC), following the concerns raised within this report.
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