ICO outlines priorities to safeguard children's privacy online

As part of its 2024-2025 priorities, the ICO is committed to bolstering safeguards for children's personal information in the digital sphere.

Since the implementation of its Children’s code of practice in 2021, the ICO has collaborated with various online services to enhance privacy protections for children, aiming to ensure responsible handling of their personal data within the digital realm. Notable progress has been made, with many organisations actively assessing and mitigating potential privacy risks for children on their platforms.

Building upon the progress achieved thus far, the new Children’s code strategy outlines key areas where social media and video-sharing platforms need to enhance their practices in the coming year. Additionally, the ICO will continue to enforce regulations and promote adherence to the code within the industry.

John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner, emphasised the significance of prioritising children's privacy and cautioned against compromising it in pursuit of profit. He stressed the profound impact of online services on young people's digital experiences and urged platforms to take proactive steps to mitigate potential data harms.

For the period spanning 2024 to 2025, the Children's code strategy will focus on several critical areas:

1. Default Privacy and Geolocation Settings: Children's profiles must default to private settings, and geolocation settings should be deactivated by default to mitigate risks associated with location tracking.
2. Profiling Children for Targeted Advertisements: Platforms must ensure transparency regarding the collection and use of children's personal information for targeted advertising to safeguard children's autonomy and financial well-being.
3. Using Children’s Information in Recommender Systems: Algorithms generating content feeds should avoid directing children towards harmful content and should not encourage prolonged platform engagement leading to oversharing of personal information.
4. Information Usage of Children Under 13 Years Old: Strict measures must be in place to obtain parental consent for the use of personal information of children under 13, including robust age verification processes.

The ICO also plans to collaborate with other UK regulators and international counterparts to elevate global data protection standards for the benefit of UK children. Mr. Edwards highlighted the global significance of children's privacy and emphasised the need for international cooperation in safeguarding children's personal information online.

Mr. Edwards is currently attending the IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2024 in Washington DC, where the ICO will engage with international regulators and online services to advocate for stronger digital protections for children. Additionally, meetings with big tech companies and AI developers in Seattle and San Francisco will reinforce regulatory expectations and advance priorities for children's privacy.

Photo Eric Ward