Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Rejected
Paragraph: 51
Urge ICO to proactively engage manufacturers on child-friendly privacy settings for connected tech.
Recommendation
The use of connected tech in schools and by children in homes raises concerns, including the harvesting and third-party use of children’s data and their lack of control over what technology is used and when. The Government and ICO were quick to dismiss our concerns about this issue. We urge the ICO to take a more proactive approach in engaging with manufacturers of connected toys and education technology. It should ensure that all products include: terms and conditions that are age-appropriate; privacy settings that are intuitive for children and help them exercise data rights; and fully explain the benefits and risks of data processing. Industry should be supported in this through comprehensive guidance, independent research and user- testing.
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the conclusion, asserting that the ICO has already been proactive through extensive work with industry since the Age-Appropriate Design Code came into force, producing guidance and resources for Edtech and schools.
Paragraph Reference:
51
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
We do not agree with this conclusion. Since the age-appropriate design code came into force in 2021, the ICO has undertaken extensive work with industry and produced guidance to help organisations design their services to conform with the code. (standard 3), by default set to the least privacy intrusive (standard 7) and transparent about the processing (standard 4). The ICO has produced guidance on these standards, including a Commissioner’s opinion on age assurance and guidance on determining whether a service is ‘likely to be accessed’ by a child. The ICO published its evaluation report of the Children’s code in March 2023, which highlighted the pioneering impact of the code globally, the improvements made by Information Society Services and the key role for parents and schools to play in the long term success of the code. The report did show encouraging metrics around children’s understanding of the code, and more widely privacy issues. The ICO has produced a range of specific resources on the code, including frequently asked questions on Edtech and Lesson plans and resources for schools and teachers.