In a digital age, the online world is an integral part of your child's life. It's a space for learning, connecting with friends, exploring and having fun. But with the growing use of digital platforms, concerns about online privacy have risen. Recently, the Australian Government committed to creating a Children’s Online Privacy Code to address these concerns and protect your child's personal information. This development is essential, and here's why.
A recent study conducted by the University of Sydney sheds light on the online habits and challenges faced by young people aged 12-17 and their parents. The findings indicate that Australian teenagers are highly active online and possess digital skills like identifying scams, blocking unwanted individuals, and managing location services. However, there are gaps in their online safety skills, and they often don't discuss their online lives with their parents.
One major challenge is that both teens and parents find it difficult to understand how digital platforms handle personal information. Many feel that it's important to keep personal information private but admit to confusion about the process. Some teens may show a lack of interest in data privacy. In workshops, teens struggled to extract their personal data from digital platforms, highlighting the complexity of the issue.
The concern is not isolated; many digital platforms engage in "targeting," which means collecting, using, and sharing information to tailor content, services, and advertisements to individual users. The Australian Attorney-General's office has expressed concerns about children being "datafied," with a vast amount of data collected about them, including their activities, location, interests, and more.
While children may enjoy the benefits of targeted content, as parents and carers we are acutely aware that there are risks. They might encounter age-inappropriate content, interact with strangers, or become so absorbed in technology that it affects other aspects of their lives, like sleep, studying, and relationships. The study found that many teens admitted to wasting time, experiencing physical discomfort (such as headaches), and seeing unwanted ads due to their digital habits – something adults can also relate to.
We know that telling teens to have more self-control won't solve these problems. The issues stem from how digital platforms are designed and how they handle personal information. To address these concerns, the Australian Government has agreed to the development a Children’s Online Privacy Code, specifically for online services accessed by children under 18 years.
But what does this mean? The code will regulate how the digital industry handles direct marketing to children for advertising purposes and targeting to children. The government has agreed in principle that these practices will be prohibited unless they are in the best interest of the child. The government has also agreed in principle to ban the trading of children's personal information and to ensure online services prioritise the best interests of the child when handling their data.
This is a significant step forward, but there are still important decisions to make. We believe the best outcomes for children and young people would be achieved by the development of Code being led by an independent, expert regulator, such as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner – rather than the industry itself. That way, the community can feel confident that regulations are being led by someone whose job is to put the public’s best interests first.
The Children’s Online Privacy Code is a powerful opportunity to shape the digital world into a place where children are not exploited but are valued and respected. As parents and caregivers, we want our children to be safe online, their privacy protected and for them to thrive.
For more information, tips and practical resources visit our online safety hub for parents and carers at https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/learning-resources/digitalk
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