‘Finally Ireland is going in the right direction... and protecting children’
THERE has been a resoundingly positive welcome to the news that all of the major Opposition parties are set to support raising the digital age of consent to 16.
The Irish Daily Mail yesterday revealed that Fianna Fáil would table an amendment to the Data Protection Bill to increase the digital age of consent to 16 from the Government’s preference of 13. Sinn Féin said it would support such an amendment, while Labour had previously said it would be tabling a similar amendment.
This means the Government’s preference on this particular element of the Bill is most likely to be defeated. Eminent cyberpsychologist Dr Mary Aiken said the move proved that campaigners ‘have been able to have some impact on a misguided policy position being put forward by Government’.
The digital age of consent is the age at which young people can sign up for online services without needing the explicit approval of their parents. It is also the age at which technology giants are legally allowed to retain their data. Dr Aiken said: ‘This issue is not about whether children go online or not – it is about the age at which a child can consent to their data being profiled by commercial enterprises that may seek to target them for profit.’
Dr Aiken has appeared before an Oireachtas Committee on the topic, joined by her colleague Professor Barry O’Sullivan, of the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at University College Cork.
She said they were both ‘delighted with the position now taken by all of the main Opposition parties’.
‘Progressive thinkers and policymakers are all moving towards greater child protection concerning exposure to technologies – finally Ireland is moving in a smart direction,’ she added.
Professor O’Sullivan also welcomed the news as it is something himself and Dr Aiken have ‘been campaigning for since late 2016’. He added: ‘The importance of 16 is that it keeps parents in the loop, allowing them to support their children in understanding the consequences of sharing personal data online.’