The collection of data by technology firms on children is a serious issue in the digital space today and has raised concern among parents and child advocates. With platforms such as Amazon, Google, and TikTok at the helm, the question of privacy, consent, and the potential exploitation of young users’ data arises.
Tech companies utilize various methods to gather extensive data on children. The types of information collected include:
Types of Data Collected
- Personal Information: Details such as age, gender, and ethnicity.
- Behavioral Data: Insights into how children interact with content, including likes, shares, and views.
- Location Data: Geographic information derived from device tracking.
- Purchase History: Records of online purchases made by users.
- Device Information: Technical data related to the devices used.
This data is often leveraged to create detailed profiles that enable advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements aimed specifically at children.
Legal Frameworks for the Protection of Children’s Data
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) set the pace in the field of children’s online privacy protection. COPPA, instituted in 2000 and amended in 2013, bars the collection of personal data from children under the age of 13, without verifiable parental consent. Other legislation, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, furthers these protections by granting even more control over residents’ data. However, this remains tricky to enforce because of too many loopholes and at a very rapid pace of change within the technologies themselves.
Concerns About Exploitation
Recent studies have identified alarming trends in how EdTech and AdTech companies exploit children’s data. One report, which mapped 165 different EdTech products, found that an unbelievable 89% of these were practicing methods that undermined the rights of children. Most of the time, the companies pass on children’s data to advertising firms for behavioral manipulation and exposure to inappropriate content. Besides, algorithms built on this can keep children engaged for extended hours, raising concerns about mental health implications.
Parental Awareness and Monitoring
With greater awareness of the issue, many are taking measures to monitor screen time for children. In fact, in a Pew Research study, fully 86 percent of parents of kids 5 to 11 said they limit the amount of time their kids spend on screens; many check browsing histories, use parental control software, and so on. Despite all of that, many said they had no idea there was this much data harvesting by tech firms.
In other terms, the level of data being collected on children by the same technology firms sends a message of serious privacy and ethics concerns in dealing with their information.
As more parents now become more aware of such issues, the demand is increased to have transparent and stricter regulation with the protection of children’s rights on the web. Meanwhile, with continuing legislative efforts to pass legislation such as the proposed Kids PRIVCY Act, designed to bolster protection against behavioral advertising directed at minors, the topic of children’s digital safety has never been more salient.
