Childhood is an important phase where our identities and aspirations take shape. It’s a time of singing into hairbrushes and pouring our hearts out in diaries. It’s when we figure out who we are, who we want to become, and how we want to lead our lives.
However, being a child in the modern era means being constantly monitored by machines. The more time kids spend online, the more information companies collect to influence their behavior both in the present and for years to come. Even toddlers today know how to watch videos, play games, take pictures, and FaceTime their grandparents. By the age of 10, 42 percent of children have smartphones, and nearly half use social media by the age of 12. The internet has become an integral part of children’s lives, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized its importance for remote learning, socializing, and entertainment. YouTube, in particular, has become a platform that kids can’t live without.
It’s evident that children need special protections both online and offline. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires web platforms and digital product creators to obtain parental consent before collecting and sharing digital identifiers (such as location, email, and device serial number) that can be linked to a child under 13 years of age.
However, compliance with COPPA is voluntary, and there are loopholes in its implementation. A study of 451 apps used by 3- and 4-year-olds in 2020 found that two-thirds of them collected digital identifiers. Research also suggests that children’s apps have more third-party trackers than adult-oriented apps. Even if an app or product is COPPA compliant, it can still collect highly valuable and potentially identifying information. In today’s digitally connected world, every piece of information can be stitched together to create a detailed profile that identifies an individual.
It’s important to note that the information harvesting process is often automated and indiscriminate. Companies can gather private information about your child even if they didn’t intend to. For example, TikTok updated its privacy policy in 2021 to allow the collection of “voiceprints” and “faceprints” along with the associated identifying information. It’s estimated that at least 18 million of TikTok’s users in the U.S. are 14 years old or younger. It’s easy to envision scenarios where children unknowingly share sensitive personal information on the platform.
To paint a grim picture, by the age of 13, online advertising firms have collected an average of 72 million data points about a child. This doesn’t even take into account the extent to which children’s data are shared and their privacy compromised by those closest to them. In 2016, the average child in Britain had around 1,500 images of themselves posted online before their fifth birthday.
We typically assume that adults have the right to decide who can access our private thoughts, words, and actions. Children also deserve this right. Privacy is essential for every human being to have the freedom to think, share thoughts with trusted individuals, and act without the fear of interference or judgment.
Young children may not fully grasp the concept of privacy, but they still deserve and should be entitled to it. As parents, it’s our responsibility to safeguard their privacy in an internet that often falls short of providing adequate regulations. Parents should protect children from malicious actors, guide them toward good practices, and help them understand that once information or a photo is shared, it is no longer private.
Therefore, parents should be mindful of what they themselves share on social media. It’s important to differentiate between private and non-private information. For instance, sharing a photo of your child’s soccer team winning a match on Instagram or a parent WhatsApp group is fine because it’s not private information. However, when parents do share private information about their child online, they should prioritize their child’s best interest. As children grow older, they gain the capacity to make decisions for themselves, and parents should gradually give more weight to their child’s perspective when deciding whether to share private information. If a 17-year-old asks their parent not to disclose which colleges they are applying to, even if the parent believes seeking advice from friends on Facebook could be beneficial, the parent should respect the child’s wishes.
The digital age has opened up new opportunities for children but has also put their ability to shape their own lives at risk. Today’s children face the danger of growing up with their every move tracked, stored, categorized, and exploited by the world’s largest and most powerful companies. We must protect their right to grow up on their own terms.
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