Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Deferred
Paragraph: 106
Launch cross-government consultation on raising the digital age of consent to 16
Recommendation
The next Government must launch a consultation by the end of the year on whether 13 is a reasonable age of digital consent, or whether it should be raised. The next Government should recommend 16 as a more appropriate age. This approach should be cross-government and include research on the reasoning behind other countries having higher digital age of consents than our own.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the current legal digital consent age of 13 and the importance of keeping this area under review. It states it will give further consideration to the committee's recommendation to launch a consultation by the end of the year on raising the age of digital consent to 16, but does not commit to it.
Paragraph Reference:
106
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Under the UK GDPR, consent of the individual provides a lawful ground for processing personal data. When information society services rely on this lawful ground to process personal data, the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 provide that consent can only lawfully be given by a child if they are aged 13 or above. For children younger than this, consent would need to be given by a person with parental responsibility for the child. The government is committed to ensuring that children’s personal data is protected and that they can engage safely with online services. As part of its ongoing work, and in light of evolving technology and international approaches, it recognises the importance of keeping this area under review. We will give further consideration to the committee’s recommendation for a consultation.