{"id":2115,"date":"2021-01-26T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.qustodio.com\/2021\/01\/26\/protect-child-data-privacy\/"},"modified":"2024-05-29T08:19:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T08:19:24","slug":"protect-child-data-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.qustodio.com\/en\/blog\/protect-child-data-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to protect your child\u2019s data and privacy in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”2px||4px|2%|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”0px||0px||true|false” module_alignment_tablet=”” module_alignment_phone=”center” module_alignment_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member name=”Qustodio Team” position=”Experts in digital safety ” image_url=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2021\/10\/01090043\/Qustodio-Team.png” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80%” width_tablet=”” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||24px|7px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” position_text_align_tablet=”” position_text_align_phone=”center” position_text_align_last_edited=”on|phone” text_orientation_tablet=”” text_orientation_phone=”center” text_orientation_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_team_member][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-80px|||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-80px|||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2024\/05\/29074803\/Child-Data-Privacy.jpg” alt=”how to protect your child’s data privacy” title_text=”Child Data Privacy” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”81%” max_width=”81%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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Current data protection laws by themselves are not enough. Here\u2019s what every parent needs to know to help keep their kids\u2019 identity safe online.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Most parents today were able to grow up without a digital record of their childhood. Their children, however, will not. Kids today, and of the future, will be tied to their online identities.\u00a0<\/span>According to\u00a0<\/span>Wired<\/em><\/a>, 81% of kids in the world and 92% of kids in the US have a presence online before they turn 2 years old. And 95% of US teens have access to a smartphone.<\/p>\n

GDPR, COPPA, and CRPA are not enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Privacy laws such as\u00a0Europe\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)<\/a>, the United States Federal Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA<\/a>), and\u00a0California\u2019s recently passed Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)<\/a>\u00a0have helped move the data protection needle forward. But the truth is we don\u2019t know what ramifications data collection will have on future generations and current laws to protect children currently lag desperately behind today\u2019s technologies. Parents must still do most of the job of protecting their kids\u2019 online privacy \u2013 reputational and consumer privacy \u2013 themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What do the main child privacy laws say?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Here\u2019s a recap on what these main privacy laws mean for kids:<\/p>\n

COPPA<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cimposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.\u201d<\/p>\n

GDPR<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u201capplies to both children and adults alike and includes certain child-specific clauses that aim to protect the data of children. Children merit additional protections because they are less likely to be familiar with the risks, consequences and safeguards regarding their personal and public data. The GDPR has a non-standardized definition of a child, with the default age set to those\u00a0<\/span>16 years old and under<\/a><\/strong>. Member States are permitted to lower the age cap to define children in the GDPR, but to no younger than 13 years old. This is an option nearly half the Member States have exercised.\u201d<\/p>\n

CPRA<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cdetermined that companies collecting personally identifiable information of consumers are required to clearly and transparently inform them when they employ automated decision-making technology. The CPRA beefs up punishments for breaches involving children\u2019s data. Any administrative fines are three times as much for kids\u2019 PII. Additionally, the law also will affect how consent is managed and obtained by regulated companies, allowing parents to have more control over the personal information of their children.\u201d<\/p>\n

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10 child data privacy tips<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Despite the progress being made by each of these laws, there are still variations by state and by country. Also,\u00a0<\/span>some parents are the first to overlook the laws<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to grant consent to their children to access many online tools before the age of 13. In such a fluid and hodge-podge environment, it can help to have some universal guidelines. Here are our top 10 data privacy tips for parents to share with their children and implement:<\/p>\n

1. Keep applications and operating systems up-to-date. <\/strong><\/p>\n

When developers release updates, hackers can determine how to break into systems that have not been updated.<\/p>\n

2. Think before you act.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anything that asks you to do something\u00a0immediately\u00a0<\/em>is suspicious. Stop what you are doing. Research it online. Ask an adult to help you investigate.<\/p>\n

3. Ask permission before you post. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask a person for permission to post a photo of a friend or stranger online. It\u2019s a matter of respect, and in many cases it is the law.<\/p>\n

4. Never share personal information online. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Your full name, birth date, phone number, location can be used for data theft. Never share this information about yourself, or about a friend, with anyone.<\/p>\n

5. Stay \u2018two-steps\u2019 ahead.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Activate two-step authentication or multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your account.<\/p>\n

6. Think about how what you post now might affect you in the future. <\/strong><\/p>\n

What seems funny or cool now, could be harming to your future career.\u00a0Remind kids that what they share online stays online for a lifetime.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

7. Limit who you share information with. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Set privacy and security settings online. Turn off location sharing. Be mindful of what you are sharing, do you really need to share it with the world? Remember your attention is the equivalent to money. In fact, according to\u00a0The Economist<\/em>, \u201cThe world\u2019s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data<\/a>.\u201d So, be careful how you spend it. Not sure where to adjust your privacy settings? The\u00a0National Cyber Security Alliance has provided direct links<\/a> to some of the most popular online services. And remember, it\u2019s not just smartphones, tablets and laptops that you need to look out for. Devices like smart watches are increasingly under scrutiny for being a “security nightmare”<\/a>.<\/p>\n

8. Only visit secure websites<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Make sure the URL of the site you are visiting or shopping on has an https<\/strong>:\/\/ URL (not http:\/\/). We recommend parents set up HTTPS Everywhere<\/a>, a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.<\/p>\n

9. Never use “remember me” on public computers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, make sure to delete your cookie<\/a> and browser history.<\/p>\n

10. Beware of loopholes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Despite age gates, kids can get around the age 13 restrictions rather easily. For example,\u00a0Instagram is under scrutiny in Europe<\/a> for leaking data of children who changed their regular Instagram accounts to business accounts, which are not protected. Also, parents who have children using tools like Google Classroom<\/a>\u00a0should also be careful that their child is using a school provided gmail account, because their child\u2019s data may not be protected if they are using a public Google account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Current data protection laws by themselves are not enough. Here\u2019s what every parent needs to know to help keep their kids\u2019 identity safe online. Most parents today were able to grow up without a digital record of their childhood. Their children, however, will not. Kids today, and of the future, will be tied to their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":63805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"

Current data protection laws by themselves are not enough. Here\u2019s what every parent needs to know to help keep their kids\u2019 identity safe online.<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>

Most parents today were able to grow up without a digital record of their childhood. Their children, however, will not. Kids today, and of the future, will be tied to their online identities. According to Wired<\/em><\/a>, 81% of kids in the world and 92% of kids in the US have a presence online before they turn 2 years old. And 95% of US teens have access to a smartphone.<\/p><\/div>

GDPR, COPPA, and CRPA are not enough<\/strong><\/p>

Privacy laws such as Europe\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)<\/a>, the United States Federal Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA<\/a>), and California\u2019s recently passed Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)<\/a> have helped move the data protection needle forward. But the truth is we don\u2019t know what ramifications data collection will have on future generations and current laws to protect children currently lag desperately behind today\u2019s technologies. Parents must still do most of the job of protecting their kids\u2019 online privacy - reputational and consumer privacy - themselves.<\/p><\/div>

What do the main child privacy laws say?<\/strong><\/h3>

Here\u2019s a recap on what these main privacy laws means for kids:<\/p>

COPPA<\/a><\/strong> \u201cimposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.\u201d<\/p>

GDPR<\/a><\/strong> \u201capplies to both children and adults alike and includes certain child-specific clauses that aim to protect the data of children. Children merit additional protections because they are less likely to be familiar with the risks, consequences and safeguards regarding their personal and public data. The GDPR has a non-standardized definition of a child, with the default age set to those 16 years old and below<\/a><\/strong>. Member States are permitted to lower the age cap to define children in the GDPR, but to no younger than 13 years old. This is an option nearly half the Member States have exercised.\u201d<\/p>

CPRA<\/a><\/strong> \u201cdetermined that companies collecting personally identifiable information of consumers are required to clearly and transparently inform them when they employ automated decision-making technology. The CPRA beefs up punishments for breaches involving children\u2019s data. Any administrative fines are three times as much for kids\u2019 PII. Additionally, the law also will affect how consent is managed and obtained by regulated companies, allowing parents to have more control over the personal information of their children.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

10 Child Data Privacy Tips<\/strong><\/h3>

Despite the progress being made by each of these laws, there are still variations by state and by country. Also, some parents are the first to overlook the laws<\/a> to grant consent to their children to access many online tools before the age of 13. In such a fluid and hodge-podge environment, it can help to have some universal guidelines. Here are our top 10 data privacy tips for parents to share with their children and implement immediately:<\/p><\/div>

Some parents are the first to overlook the laws.<\/div>

\u00a0<\/h3>
  1. Keep applications and operating systems up-to-date. <\/strong>When developers release updates, hackers can determine how to break into systems that have not been updated.\u00a0<\/li>
  2. Think before you act.<\/strong> Anything that asks you to do something immediately <\/em>is suspicious. Stop what you are doing. Research it online. Ask an adult to help you investigate.<\/li>
  3. Ask permission before you post. <\/strong>Ask a person for permission to post a photo of a friend or stranger online. It\u2019s a matter of respect, and in many cases it is the law.<\/li>
  4. Never share personal information online. <\/strong>Your full name, birth date, phone number, location can be used for data theft. Never share this information about yourself, or about a friend, with anyone.\u00a0<\/li>
  5. Stay \u2018two-steps\u2019 ahead.<\/strong> Activate two-step authentication or multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your account.<\/li>
  6. Think about how what you post now might affect you in the future. <\/strong>What seems funny or cool now, could be harming to your future career. Remind kids that what they share online stays online for a lifetime.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>
  7. Limit whom you share information with. <\/strong>Set privacy and security settings online. Turn off location sharing. Be mindful of what you are sharing, do you really need to share it with the world? Remember your attention is the equivalent to money. In fact, according to The Economist<\/em>, \u201cThe world\u2019s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data<\/a>.\u201d So, be careful how you spend it. Not sure where to adjust your privacy settings? The National Cyber Security Alliance has provided direct links<\/a> to some of the most popular online services. And remember, it\u2019s not just smartphones, tablets and laptops that you need to look out for. Devices like smart watches are increasingly under scrutiny for being a \u2018security nightmare<\/a>\u2019.\u00a0<\/li>
  8. Only visit secure websites<\/strong>. Make sure the url of the site you are visiting or shopping has an https<\/strong>:\/\/ url (not http:\/\/). We recommend parents set up HTTPS Everywhere<\/a>, a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.<\/li>
  9. Never \u2018remember me\u2019 on public computers<\/strong>. And make sure to delete your cookies<\/a> and browser history.\u00a0<\/li>
  10. Beware of loopholes<\/strong>. Despite age gates, kids can get around the age 13 restrictions rather easily. For example, Instagram is under scrutiny in Europe<\/a> for leaking data of children who changed their regular Instagram accounts to Business accounts which are not protected. Also, parents who have children using tools like Google Classroom<\/a> should also be careful that their child is using a school provided gmail account, because their child\u2019s data may not be protected if they are using a public Google account.\u00a0<\/li><\/ol><\/div>
    \u00a0The world\u2019s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data.<\/div>

    Footnotes<\/strong><\/h3>