For What Reason is it so Critical to Ensure the Protection of Children’s Personal Data?
Volume II – Issue I, 2020
Children constantly seek for new adventures and experiences online. While accessing internet, they tend to expose themselves to social media evils by disclosing excess of their personal data. Earlier, there was no specific law or regulation under Data Protection Directive (herein after ‘Directive 95/46/EC’) for protecting child’s rights online. But after EU General Data protection Regulation (hereinafter ‘GDPR’) was adopted it altered the situation and jilted the old approach towards children as data subject. GDPR brings in special protection for children’s personal data. The original intention behind Article 8 of GDPR is privacy and security of children from online predators and to protect children’s personal information from commercial exploitation and targeted marketing strategies. The paper perceives and explains how EU children will be needing more protection than adults with the coming in of digital age. This paper will also present various alternatives that can be taken to avoid unjustified obstruction with child’s rights while providing online security and privacy. In this matter it is hoped and trusted that countries and information society service providers will embrace measures to protect the child’s personal data in this digital age.