Children’s privacy in lockdown: Intersections between privacy, participation and protection rights in a pandemic
Author Kathy Nickels
Date 17 May 2021
Children and young people throughout the world have felt the effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the decisions made in response to the public health crisis, acutely. Questions have been raised about adequately protecting children’s privacy, as schooling, play and socialising went almost exclusively online.
However, due to the historical lack of children’s rights being embedded throughout decision-making processes (including important participation rights), the effects of the increased surveillance as a result of the pandemic have not been thoroughly considered.
In this recent article published in Law, Technology and Humans, authors Lisa Archbold (ADM+S Student Member), Valerie Verdoot, Faith Gordon, and Damian Clifford investigate enabling aspects of privacy for children in relation to education and play, discuss the exploitative risks endemic in not protecting children’s privacy, and suggest some policy responses that will more effectively embed a children’s rights framework beyond ‘parental control’ provisions.
