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Privacy Concerns Raised Over Kids’ Apps And Websites
Posted Sep 3, 2015 by Natasha Lomas (@riptari)
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[kidstablet.jpg?w=738]
Given the sophisticated tracking technologies embedded into so many
digital products and services as a matter of course, it should come as
no surprise that a global privacy audit of children’s websites and apps
has highlighted big concerns about the collection and use of kids’
data. That doesn’t make it acceptable, however.
The Global Privacy Enforcement Network, a network of global privacy
regulators, conducted a joint research project last May, involving 29
data protection regulators looking at just under 1,500 websites and
apps targeted at or popular with children. Reporting their findings
now, they’ve raised concerns about close to a majority (41 per cent) of
the services, especially around how much personal information is
being collected from minors and how that data is then shared with third
parties.
Among the overall findings reported by the U.K.’s ICO are that:
* 67% of sites/apps examined collected children’s personal
information
* Only 31% of sites/apps had effective controls in place to limit the
collection of personal information from children. Particularly
concerning was that many organisations whose sites/apps were
clearly popular with children simply claimed in their privacy
notices that they were not intended for children, and then
implemented no further controls to protect against the collection
of personal data from the children who would inevitably access the
app or site
* Half of sites/apps shared personal information with third parties
* 22% of sites/apps provided an opportunity for children to give
their phone number and 23% of sites/apps allowed them to provide
photos or video. The potential sensitivity of this data is clearly
a concern
* 58% of sites/apps offered children the opportunity to be redirected
to a different website
* Only 24% of sites/apps encouraged parental involvement
* 71% of sites/apps did not offer an accessible means for deleting
account information
Per country results vary, with France’s CNIL data protection agency
saying it found 87 per cent of the 54 websites it looked at were
collecting personal data, such as name, email, IP address, identifying
the mobile terminal and the user’s location. And for more than 63 per
cent of sites children could be redirected to another website
(including a commercial website) with a single click. While just 18 per
cent of the subset of sites it looked at prompt users to ask for
parental consent to access the content.
None of this is surprising, given the rampant tracking technologies
developed to monetize free services via ad targeting. But as more
regulatory attention is paid to the user data heist that’s going on in
the background of the digital economy then more pressure will build to
enforce stronger consumer protections and a stricter data protection
regime.
In the U.S., for instance, there is a fresh attempt to pass a Do Not
Track Kids Act this year. While big tech providers such as Google and
Apple have been responding to criticism about how kids and apps collide
by creating dedicated kids zones within their content marketplaces, or
offering programs where developers can opt in to an additional review
layer, such as Google Play’s ‘Designed for Families’ program, to gain a
kid-friendly certification.
Such moves are of course welcome but only cover digital products that
are available within certain subsections of the Web. If kids are
accessing websites and apps that aren’t explicitly designed for them —
such as Tumblr or Twitter or Facebook, for instance — then there’s no
such safeguards in place. The onus remains on parents to be aware which
apps and websites their kids are accessing.
Ultimately the core issue here is the digital economy’s reliance on
ad-powered business models which apparently encourage the obfuscation
of user data collection; disingenuous approaches to gaining user
‘consent’ for data collection and processing; and a rank lack of
transparency about what happens to and with users’ personal data
generally.
Yet, as barely a week goes by without another huge data leak, digital
consumers are bound to start asking more questions about how and for
what purposes their personal data is being appropriated. And those tech
companies that publicly stand up for privacy will stand out as
trustworthy, while those that keep quiet will seem as if they have
something unsavory to hide.
Commenting on the kids-focused research in a statement, the ICO’s Adam
Stevens said:
These are concerning results. The attitude shown by a number of
these websites and apps suggested little regard for how anyone’s
personal information should be handled, let alone that of
children. Internationally we saw some websites and apps gathering
more information than we felt they needed, and sharing that data
with third parties.
The most common concern domestically was a lack of information being
provided about how their information would be used. We saw generic
privacy policies that simply weren’t specific enough, and some
without any information at all, which isn’t good enough.
We’ll now be writing out to the sites and apps that caused us
concern, making clear the changes we expect them to make. We
wouldn’t rule out enforcement action in this area if required.
Featured Image: Ozgur Coskun/Shutterstock
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* The Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN)
+ Founded 2007
+ Overview The Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) was
created to strengthen personal privacy protections in this
global context by assisting public authorities with
responsibilities for enforcing domestic privacy laws
strengthen their capacities for cross-border cooperation.
+ Categories Networking
+ Website https://www.privacyenforcement.net/
+ Full profile for The Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN)
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