In today’s digital age, a child’s first footprint in cyberspace often precedes their first spoken word. From prenatal ultrasound images shared on social media to “smart toys” monitoring a toddler’s sleep patterns, data about children is being gathered, stored, and analyzed on an unprecedented scale. This digital record grows silently, invisibly, and irrevocably, forming an archive of identity and behavior before the individual has any say in the matter.
Children’s data privacy is no longer a peripheral concern—it is a central, ethical issue of our times. The push for protecting children's data is not merely about keeping secrets or hiding behavior; it is about autonomy, freedom, and the ability to shape one’s own identity. When children’s personal information is captured and commodified without their understanding or consent, we deny them this essential power.
The Digital Dilemma of Childhood
At its heart, the concept of privacy allows individuals to develop away from public scrutiny. For adults, this might mean the freedom to dissent, to make mistakes, or to re-invent themselves. For children, privacy is even more critical. It grants the space to grow, to change, and to form beliefs without being locked into a digital version of their younger selves.
However, today’s digital ecosystem is powered by surveillance capitalism. It functions on the principle that all data is valuable and should be harvested. Algorithms learn from children’s online behavior, using their viewing habits, interests, and even emotional responses to personalize ads, recommend content, or profile them for future decisions. This unchecked data collection and behavioral manipulation echoes the dystopian reality George Orwell warned about in 1984, where constant surveillance served as a tool for control. What was once fiction has gradually morphed into our lived experience—only now, it is not the state alone that watches, but powerful corporations driven by profit. Today’s digital world is giving rise to what can only be described as an Orwellian state, further fueled by the capitalistic incentives embedded in the commodification of personal data. It is not new to hear that “data is the new oil,” and just as crude oil has historically shaped global power dynamics and geopolitics, the exploitation of data is beginning to exert a similar influence. This parallel should raise a serious alarm: we are not only surrendering privacy but also enabling a system where surveillance and control are justified by market logic and profit margins.
Children are particularly vulnerable in this environment. They lack the cognitive maturity to understand data collection or its long-term implications. As a result, they are easy targets for manipulation and exploitation—whether by advertisers or, more darkly, by bad actors online.
Legal Safeguards: Promises and Pitfalls
Recognizing this vulnerability, governments around the world have introduced regulations to protect children’s data. The United States enacted the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1998, which prohibits the collection of data from children under 13 without parental consent. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) includes specific provisions for children, requiring "age-appropriate" consent and limiting profiling.
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 includes clauses that restrict the processing of data for individuals under 18 without explicit parental consent. Similarly, the UK’s Age-Appropriate Design Code requires digital services to provide child-centric privacy measures by default.
These laws represent an important recognition of the unique rights of children in the digital world. But legislation alone is not enough. Enforcement remains weak, and the loopholes are often exploited by tech firms through vague terms of service or misleading consent mechanisms. Children may click “I agree” without any real comprehension, and parents, overwhelmed by digital fatigue, may consent without scrutiny.
Furthermore, there is a tension between parental control and children’s autonomy. While laws often frame consent as something parents grant on behalf of children, this can backfire commonly in cases where parents themselves overshare or unknowingly jeopardize their child’s privacy on social media.
Privacy as Empowerment
The deeper problem lies not just in legal gaps, but in our collective underestimation of privacy’s value. As DeBrabander notes, privacy is not about hiding—it is about empowerment. It is the right to define oneself, to be shielded from constant judgment and profiling, and to experiment with identities free of algorithmic memory.
When children are denied privacy, we deny them the opportunity to grow into fully autonomous adults. The child who is constantly monitored may internalize surveillance as normal, curbing their behavior to conform to expectations, avoiding risks, and fearing error. This erodes not just freedom, but creativity, critical thinking, and confidence.
Moreover, the commodification of children’s data creates future risks that are still unfolding. Will a teenager’s online search history affect college admissions or job prospects? Will AI systems make assumptions based on childhood behavior? Can a child ever delete or correct a digital record formed without their consent?
Rethinking Childhood in the Age of Surveillance
To address these challenges, we must cultivate a new philosophy of digital childhood—one that puts dignity and development ahead of profit. This means embedding privacy into the design of every digital service targeted at or used by children. Data minimization should be the norm, not the exception. Default settings should favor privacy, and children’s data should never be collected unless absolutely necessary.
Educators and parents must also be empowered with digital literacy. Understanding how data flows, who profits from it, and how children can be manipulated is essential. Schools must teach children not just how to use technology, but how to question itand how to demand their rights.
Importantly, children themselves should be seen as rights-holders, not passive subjects. As they grow older, their voices should be included in debates about data protection, app design, and online norms. A 16-year-old today understands digital ecosystems more intimately than many lawmakers. Their insight is not just valuable—it is vital.
A Shared Responsibility
Safeguarding children's privacy is a shared responsibility. Legislators must craft robust, forward-looking policies. Tech companies must be held accountable for ethical design. Parents must model good digital behavior. And society must reject the normalization of surveillance, especially when it threatens the most vulnerable among us.
The right to privacy is foundational to democracy, individuality, and dignity. When we protect this right for children, we do more than guard their data—we nurture their freedom to become who they are meant to be, on their own terms.
The question we must ask now is: Are we willing to fight for this power, not just for ourselves, but for the next generation?
References:
- UNICEF
- Federal Trade Commission (2023). Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule ("COPPA"). COPPA
- General Data Protection Regulation
- .Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- UNESCO. (2021). Digital Literacy for Children and Youth: Strategic framework.https://www.unesco.org
By Mansi Sharma
