Protecting Your Child's Data: Understanding Privacy Leaks

Children's personal information has become a valuable commodity in the digital economy, making data privacy protection more critical than ever. Many apps and websites collect extensive data about young users, including their location, browsing habits, device information, biometric data, and even voice recordings. This information can be sold to advertisers, used to create detailed behavioral profiles, or potentially accessed by malicious actors. A 2024 report from the Federal Trade Commission found that many popular children's apps and websites continue to collect data beyond what is necessary for their core functionality, often without clear disclosure to parents. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) provides some legal protection by restricting data collection from children under 13, but parents must remain vigilant about what information their children share and which services they use, as enforcement gaps and evolving technology constantly present new challenges.

To protect your child's data, start by conducting a thorough audit of every app and platform they use. Review the privacy settings systematically, platform by platform. Many social media platforms default to public profiles, which means anyone can see your child's posts, photos, personal information, and even location data. Change these settings to private and limit who can contact your child, view their content, and access their friend lists. On platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, ensure that location services are disabled for social posts, as geo-tagging can reveal your home address, school, and daily routines. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) maintains detailed guides about privacy settings for specific platforms, as these settings often change and can be deliberately difficult to find or understand.

Be especially cautious about apps that request excessive permissions. When installing a new app, carefully review what access it's requesting and question whether these permissions are truly necessary for core functionality. Does a flashlight app really need access to contacts? Does a calculator need your location? Many apps request far more permissions than they require, collecting data for advertising and analytics purposes rather than to provide their stated service. On both iOS and Android devices, you can review and modify app permissions in the settings menu, even revoking access after an app has been installed. Make it a practice to regularly review these permissions—perhaps once a quarter—and delete apps that your child no longer uses, as they may continue collecting data in the background even when not actively opened.

Beyond app-level privacy settings, consider your family's broader digital footprint. Are you posting photos of your children on social media? Experts at the Family Online Safety Institute caution parents about "sharenting"—oversharing information about children online. Even when your own social media profiles are private, photos and information you share can be copied, screenshot, and spread beyond your intended audience. Before posting a photo of your child, consider: Does this image reveal identifying information like school uniforms, house numbers, or license plates? Could this photo embarrass them now or in the future? Are you sharing information they might not want public, like medical conditions or behavioral challenges? Some families establish a rule of asking older children for permission before posting anything about them online, recognizing that children deserve some control over their digital footprint even when they're minors.

Teach your child to be selective about what they share online, emphasizing that information posted on the internet can be permanent and difficult to remove completely. Even on platforms with "disappearing" messages like Snapchat, recipients can screenshot content before it vanishes. Discuss the concept of a "digital footprint"—the trail of data left by online activity—and how it can impact their future. College admissions officers and employers routinely search for applicants online, and inappropriate or embarrassing content from years earlier can have real consequences. Encourage your child to think before posting: Would I be comfortable with my grandparents, teachers, or future employer seeing this? If the answer is no, it shouldn't be shared online.

Finally, consider using privacy-focused alternatives to popular services when appropriate. Privacy-respecting email providers, search engines that don't track users, and messaging apps with end-to-end encryption can significantly reduce your family's data exposure. While these alternatives may not have all the features of mainstream services, they offer substantially better privacy protections. For younger children, consider delaying social media presence entirely—every year of childhood spent off social media is a year without data collection, without the pressure of online performance, and without exposure to the various risks these platforms present.