KIDS’ DATA OPEN TO PLUNDER
New Zealand has lax rules around what information is collected about children online, and one researcher is pushing for tighter rules to protect our youngest digital citizens. Warwick Rasmussen reports.
CHILDREN are being subjected to ‘‘intensive corporate surveillance’’ while online, as weak regulations in New
Zealand allow businesses and third parties to capture data that builds a digital profile from young ages.
In her doctorate research, Dr Caroline Keen of Auckland University delved into what information companies were taking from children, how they could be tracked and what could be done to redress the imbalance.
And during Covid-19 lockdown levels 3 and 4, more people relied on online communication tools, especially, to do their jobs, catch up with loved ones and do school work.
That reliance brought into focus how much people rely on these tools, and will continue to do so. But at what cost?
Keen said parents needed to be aware of new privacy risks such as personal information falling into the hands of ‘‘corporate giants’’, as well as greater risks to family privacy.
‘‘Unlike their parents, today’s children and young people have been subjected to intensive corporate surveillance since they picked up their first internet-enabled device.
‘‘We do know that personal data is used to determine a person’s eligibility to receive consumer offers, but there is also evidence that such data may be used to deny some individuals access to essential services, while privileging others.’’
Keen said some automated decision-making technology targets individuals with ads, but can also be used to categorise people in terms of risk, such as the likelihood of defaulting on a loan, committing a crime, being a higher insurance risk, succeeding in education or being suitable for a job.
‘‘Such classification and predictions may well result in discrimination that will exclude some children from essential services and opportunities later in life.’’
A 2017 US study showed that children aged under 13 could be exposed to anywhere between one and two million trackers per year collecting five million data points, while for teenagers such trackers can collect up to around 12 million data points per year. These can be everything from location to websites visited and device identifiers.
Keen said that during her research she found that families generally understood digital privacy, but were largely unaware of how personal information about their children was being captured and monetised, often with third parties.
People interviewed knew that data was being taken ‘‘but many didn’t consider transactions with companies as posing any threat to their personal safety or public status and so view the corporate collection of data as largely benign’’.
‘‘I would say that most adults and children, they admit to just ticking the box and going forward in order to exchange something for the service. It’s usually free or nearly free. ‘‘The moment you sign up, you’re actually legitimising the collection of personal data.’’ Since 2018 the European Union has had the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which includes specific protections for children. New Zealand was lagging behind in this area, according to Keen.
She suggested stronger regulation here to move with the times.
Consent for information should require a positive opt-in, with no use of pre-ticked boxes or any other method of default consent; data policies should be transparent, and quickly and easily understood by adults and children; parental consent should be a requirement before companies knowingly collect younger children’s data.
Another move would be to strengthen children’s rights especially to have personal data erased.
Helensville father of two Todd Darvill said he and partner Kate have a simple policy for when their children Hendrix, 11, and Calliope, 9, are on devices.
‘Unlike their parents, today’s children and young people have been subjected to intensive corporate surveillance since they picked up their first internet-enabled device.’ DR CAROLINE KEEN