The Huffington Post
Almost one-quarter (24%) of primary school -aged children have shared their real name or address online, according to new research, with eight and nine-year-olds most at risk of doing so. Just over one in five (22%) have shared personal information such as health details with AI tools and over one-third (35%) of parents believe their child would share personal information in exchange for game tokens or rewards. Yet the same survey of 1,000 parents, from the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), found a fifth of them have never spoken to their kids about online privacy and three in four fear their child can’t make safe online privacy choices. To bridge this gap and kickstart conversations about protecting personal information online, the ICO has launched a Switched On To Privacy campaign for parents of children aged four to 11 years old. Parents don’t know if they’re doing enough The research found 46% of parents don’t feel confident protecting their children’s privacy online and 44% say they try to do so, but aren’t sure they’re doing enough. ICO research shows online privacy is one of the least discussed online safety topics: 21% of parents have never spoken to their children about it, and 38% discuss it less than once a month. By contrast, 90% of parents have discussed screen time in the past month. Experts warn that if children’s sensitive information is shared online, it can put them at risk from grooming and radicalisation. Emily Keaney, ICO deputy commissioner, said: “We wouldn’t expect our children to share their birthdays or address with a stranger in a shop, because we’d explain stranger danger to them from a very young age, but kids these days are growing up online. “We know that where children’s details – like their name, interests and pictures – aren’t protected, the potential risks are serious: unwanted contact from strangers, grooming and radicalisation.” While tech companies need to be held accountable for children’s safety, Keaney said parents also have a role to play, “but the problem is that many families have never been shown how to talk to their children about online privacy”. “We want parents to feel empowered and children to feel digitally confident, because only then will they be able to start to trust in how their data is used and be part of the whole society solution that is needed for online safety,” she added. Teaching children about online privacy Most parents (88%) think children should start learning about online privacy between ages four and 11 years. ICO has shared a guide for parents of children to navigate this learning. Pointers include: Chat regularly with your child about online privacy. Ask them about what they like doing online and talk about what they are sharing and who with. Look at the privacy settings section together. What information is it tracking? What can you control from the settings? Help your child start thinking carefully about what they choose to share online. Review who can see posts, tag them or direct message them, and look at which apps or games are accessing location data. Be clear with your child what your family’s rules are about sharing personal information. Check the settings whenever your child uses a new device or app. Rachel Huggins, CEO of Internet Matters, said: “Online privacy is a vital part of keeping children safe in a digital world, and so is empowering parents and carers with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to support their families. “Open conversations build trust and give children the confidence and tools needed to navigate digital spaces safely. Alongside regular check-ins we also encourage parents to review their child’s privacy settings and make use of parental controls across the devices, apps and platforms their children use.” Related... Nudifying Apps Are A Parent's Worst Nightmare. Experts Want Them Banned Immediately The UK Won’t Ban Social Media For Under-16s – So What Will Protect Kids Online? Most Boys Aged 11-14 Have Been Exposed To Online Misogyny, Says Ofcom
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