Children's apps and websites raise privacy concerns | 21st Century Learning and Teaching | Scoop.it
Given the publicity attracted by recent high-profile data breaches and the consequences for those whose personal information was subsequently leaked, it may, perhaps, concern parents to learn that around half of the sites examined by GPEN were happily and willingly sharing their children's data with third parties.

Also, considering the occasionally dark nature of the world we live in, anyone with responsibility for a child's welfare may well not like the revelation that just under 1 in 4 sites and apps gave kids the opportunity to upload their photo or add video clips. 22% of the services looked at also allowed youngsters to hand over their phone numbers.

Sadly, despite the potential problems posed by allowing children to share too much data, only 24% of the tested apps and websites encouraged any sort of parental oversight.

What's more, should a concerned adult discover that their offspring is revealing too much personal information, the options for remedying the situation are few and far between - with 71% of the investigated services making it difficult or impossible to delete accounts.

Adam Stevens, head of the ICO's intelligence hub 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.


Learn more:


https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/often-asked-questions-are-there-cyber-security-dangers-with-apps-and-whats-about-privacy/


https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/specialized-magazines-for-apps/