With new technologies emerging all the time, it can be hard to stay in the loop in terms of privacy. Many applications and websites have privacy settings, but using them might not always be straightforward or obvious (or even seem to matter), especially to youth. That’s why the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is proud to be a sponsor of the Youth Privacy Online Conference in Toronto, held on Wednesday, December 1st.
A few dedicated OPC staffers spend much of their time visiting schools and talking to young people about why privacy is important. If you believe a popular line of thinking, privacy may seem to be a lost cause in the age of online social networking and “anything goes” disclosure. We who talk to youth on a regular basis, however, are always pleasantly surprised that a generation that is growing up online shows such interest and enthusiasm about protecting their information. It’s nice when research findings reflect our day-to-day observations that many young people are in fact proactive about protecting their online privacy.
Last week, researchers from Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania released a study on young peoples’ attitudes and knowledge when it comes to their privacy. Their study found many similarities between young and older Americans when it came to sensitivity about online privacy, bucking the conventional wisdom that “kids don’t care” about privacy.
Once again, students from the Encounters with Canada program have selected the winners of our annual student video contest! Here are the winners for our 2009 competition:
On Data Privacy 2010 we’d like to take a moment to remind everyone that is the responsibility of both individuals and companies to make sure that personal information is safe.
Do your loved ones have toys on their wish lists this holiday? A stuffed animal for a little one… a cell phone or a camera for a teen? These days, these toys and gadgets are more than they used to be. Just a few years ago a stuffed animal was something to cuddle with and a phone was, well, just a phone! Now, many stuffed animals come with codes that allow kids to register them online so that they can play games, feed and care for them, and even chat and play with other kids. And many cellphones are phones, computers and cameras, all in one.
It’s also the 20th anniversary of the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention of the Rights of the Child. A significant milestone, this made privacy a basic human right for everyone under the age of eighteen.
Is there a young person in your life who is fixated on social network and video-sharing sites, online games and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones? If so, you may want to take notice of the Media Literacy Week, which is taking place this week, from November 2 to 6, 2009.