Whilst today’s children are growing up in a digitally connected world, a world where phones, tablets and computers have been an integral part of their lives from birth, the reality is that we are still at the wild frontier of the digital age. New frontiers always present a challenge because we don’t instantly know how the complex dynamics of human interaction, needs, desires and aspirations will translate given the new dynamic. As such laws tend to emerge from immoral deeds then socially unacceptable behaviours enacted by individuals or groups for their own gain or gratification. For the digital world, these laws started to be created in the late 80s / early 90s and have gradually been refined and supplemented to help alleviate exploitation and protect the innocent.
Last month the Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham announced a new code of practice to specifically help protect and reduce the exploitation of children accessing online services. The Information Commissioner says, online platforms must be designed in a way that makes them safe for children and if they are not, children must be barred.
Rules will bar Facebook, Google and other tech giants from serving children content that is detrimental to their physical or mental health or well-being. The code requires companies to safeguard children’s privacy, to curb addictive features and to restrict the use of personal information for commercial ends. The code of practice should become law in the summer, after which companies will have a year’s grace to prepare to comply with it.
Mrs Denham said: “There are laws to protect children in the real world – films ratings, car seats, age restrictions on drinking and smoking. We need our laws to protect children in the digital world too! This is a first step towards online digital services taking responsibility for the users’ experience.”
AGE APPROPRIATE DESIGN CODE – main points in practice
- New default settings for children – ‘HIGH PRIVACY’
Apps with tools and features such as profiling, geolocation, continuous scrolling, auto play and reward loops, must have these settings turned off by default. - Addictive reward manipulation designed to keep children online for hours is also tackled with requirements for pause buttons and pop up warnings.
- Profiling where algorithms use a child’s online history to target them with content they might like should be turned off unless a compelling reason for it not to be can be specified.
The code is designed to protect children from the tech sector’s insatiable appetite for data. App developers must act in the child’s best interest, not their own commercial interest. Society is starting to realise the safety and well-being of our children must be given precedence over mechanisms to make profit from data gathering.
“The code is the first in the world to prevent children’s data being exploited in ways that undermine safety.”
The full consultation paper can be found at
Click to access age-appropriate-design-code-for-public-consultation.pdf
This infographic from the UK Safer Internet Centre is a little easier to access
St Michael's eSafety Blog 