How is children’s privacy being protected around the world? This paper from the CDPI explains the latest laws, recommends future steps and provides larger context for this crucial topic which has been so much in the news. This article was first published in the Journal of Data Protection & Privacy, Volume 4 Number 4, published by Henry Stewart Publications, London.
Brands are under increased pressure across age brackets to ensure privacy, and a new IDC survey identified a “Privacy First” user segment which is young, tech-savvy, concerned about online privacy – and willing to pay for it. While most users surveyed felt companies should protect consumer privacy, the younger “Privacy First” group IDC identified, were willing to pay for tools, such as VPNs, ad blockers and privacy password keepers, to ensure their protection.
Parents, guardians and youth under 18 will be allowed to request removal of self-images that appear in Google Search queries – with the caveat that it won’t mean the image will be off the Internet. Also, for Google to consider removal, the request must meet certain requirements. Not ideal, certainly, and it remains to be seen how useful this will be.
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell its holdings within a year. The bill now goes to the President Biden, who has said he will sign it. Court challenges are likely to follow.