In the past five years we’ve seen social media platforms become part of the everyday lives of our tamariki. Photo / Getty Images
In the past five years we’ve seen social media platforms become part of the everyday lives of our tamariki. Photo / Getty Images
Opinion by Michael Webster
OPINION:
It’s time for all of us to consider how technology and societal change may be affecting our children’s privacy, and whether we have the privacy protections in place to protect this taonga.
Our tamariki and young people are figuring out who they are. They need space to be ableto do this without feeling like their personal information is open to any business, agency or person who might want it and who may misuse it. While their ability to understand and enforce their privacy rights is different to adults’, everyone has a right to privacy.
In the past five years we’ve seen social media platforms become part of the everyday lives of our tamariki, and new technologies like Artificial Intelligence and deep fakes, are making our online communities even more challenging for us all, let alone our young people. These additions to our lives have clouded issues around what is personal information and triggered concern about where our children’s personal information is going.
There are also some unique challenges and opportunities as children interact with the health sector, with schools, and with services provided to them. We have to take special care to look after them, and that includes protecting their right to privacy. Anyone who is working with children, or collecting their personal information, should be treating the interests of the child as the highest priority.
We know complex privacy issues happen with our tamariki and young people. This includes things as simple as when their parents post children’s personal information on social media, to more challenging issues like when there are relationship problems between their parents. Businesses are also often unsure how to think about children’s privacy differently from adults.
It’s crucial that as the world around us changes, the privacy settings and principles protecting our children’s personal information keep pace and adapt to the challenges that occur.
We aren’t the only country taking notice of these new challenges, with the United States, United Kingdom and Australia all working to strengthen rules protecting the privacy of young people.
In New Zealand, we have the unique opportunity to learn from others.
That’s why my office is running a children and young people’s privacy project where we want to hear what our communities, and professionals who work with children, have to say.
We want to know whether the current privacy rules work, or if more guidance or rules are needed. We are doing this work not only to protect our children and young people, but to help the community, businesses and organisations manage how children’s personal information is collected and used.
We want to hear from professionals in all sectors who work with children, whether they work in education, medicine, justice, social services or elsewhere. We also want to hear from non-governmental organisations who advocate for children. The knowledge that you can provide us with will help to guide our future approach to the privacy of our children and young people.
Early next year, to coincide with the new school year, we will be asking children and young people and their whānau and families what they think, to make sure they have a say in their future.
If you have thoughts on the privacy of our children and young people, we want to hear them. All of the information on how you can get involved is on our website. I encourage you to take a look.
Michael Webster is New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner
