PanamaTimes

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Children's internet code: What is it and how will it work?

Children's internet code: What is it and how will it work?

A ground-breaking code to create "a better internet for children" comes into force in the UK on Thursday.

Critics say it leaves many digital businesses unsure what to do - but big firms including TikTok and YouTube have already made changes.

What is the Children's Code?


The UK's independent data authority, the Information Commissioner's Office, introduced the Age Appropriate Design Code in September 2020, allowing companies a year to comply.

Without regulation the way in which social-media and gaming platforms and video- and music-streaming sites use and share children's personal data could cause physical, emotional and financial harm, it said.

It had concerns around:

*  privacy
*  inappropriate advertising
*  tactics to keep children online for long periods of time, such as auto-playing another video on a website after one has finished

The code is unrelated to but has lots in common with the draft Online Safety Bill.

How will the code make the internet 'better'?


Companies targeting children must:

*  design services to be age appropriate and in their best interests
*  consider whether their use of data keeps them safe from commercial and sexual exploitation
*  provide a high level of privacy by default
*  stop using design features that encourage them to provide more data
*  switch off geo-location services that track where they are based
*  map what personal data they collect from UK-based children

However, some organisations, including the Coalition for a Digital Economy, have said it is unclear what the data watchdog expects of businesses and called for a better definition of what will be within its scope.

What changes have firms like TikTok and YouTube made?


A flurry of policy changes over the past few months suggest the social-media companies are taking the code seriously:

*  YouTube will turn off default auto-play on videos and block ad targeting and personalisation for all children
*  TikTok will stop sending notifications after 21:00 to 13- to 15-year-olds and 22:00 to 16- and 17-year-olds
*  Instagram is preventing adults messaging children who do not follow them, defaulting all child accounts to private and requiring users to enter their date of birth to log in

What penalties are there?


Those found to be in breach of the code will be subject to the same potential penalties as those who fall foul of the General Data Protection Regulation, which include a fine of up to 4% of global turnover.

As with GDPR, there will be support rather than penalties at first - but the ICO has the power to investigate or audit organisations it believes are not complying.

It would expect companies to offer proof their services were designed in line with the code, ICO regulatory futures and innovation executive director Stephen Bonner blogged.

"Social-media platforms, video and music streaming sites and the gaming industry", rather than more general retailers, would face the most scrutiny.

And the code could have "global influence", with US Senate and Congress members calling on major technology companies to voluntarily adopt the same standards.

The Data Protection Commission in the Republic of Ireland is also preparing similar regulations.

Will companies need to know the age of users?


Despite age limits of 13, many social-media sites have much younger users.

But while age assurance will play a part in determining whether the code is being followed correctly, how they do this is being left up to companies.

The ICO will set out its position later in the autumn - but it does suggest some age-verification methods:

*  self-declaration
*  use of artificial intelligence
*  third-party age verification services
*  technical measures

Rachel O'Connell, founder of TrustElevate, a platform designed to handle young people's data, said: "The self-declaration of age means that these measures can be easily circumvented - and an unintended consequence could be incentivising young people to lie about their ages."

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×