A recent report has called for young children to have an independent right to privacy and following the Channel 4 programme, ‘Child Genius’, it made me think why this is mportant.
When children are immersed in social media, the long-term effects must be considered. So, what rights do children have regarding privacy and intrusion?
‘Child Genius’ depicted young, talented children showcasing their intellectual ability through rigorous testing and head to heads with other children. But, who decided to enter them into the competition in the first place? Realistically, there are few children who would want to enter themselves into a competition of this ilk, considering the average child loathes homework and the idea of additional study fills them with dread. If it is the case that ‘science entertainment television programmes’are the thing of the future, what is the answer to protecting children’s privacy rights?
A recent report recommends that there should be a limit to the re-contextualising of images and information about young children, enforced by new image matching and tracking technologies. A further recommendation is to introduce a children’s digital ombudsman who could provide a way for children’s interests to be better represented in of all forms of digital publication.