I was back in the local North East news this week talking about something that, increasingly, isn’t just a tech issue; it’s a parenting issue, a business issue, and quite frankly, a life skill.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has just launched its ‘Switched on to privacy’ campaign, and the reason behind it is clear. Their research shows nearly a quarter of primary school-aged children have already shared personal details like their real name or address online, yet one in five parents have never had a conversation with them about online privacy.
That gap between what our children are doing online and what we’re talking to them about is exactly where the risk sits. And it’s something I feel very strongly about. From business data to children’s data, it’s the same conversation.
At Net-Defence, we spend our time helping businesses understand the value of their data, how it’s collected, how it’s used, and how to protect it. But what we’re now seeing is that same conversation needs to start much earlier. Because children today are operating in exactly the same data-driven environment as adults, just without the awareness to understand it.
In business, we would never accept not knowing what data is being collected, where it’s going, or how it’s being used. But in the context of children, that visibility often just isn’t there. Access to apps and games almost always means creating an account. And that’s where one of the biggest challenges sits.
There’s a difference between the information that’s genuinely needed to set up an account, like a username or email, and the additional information that’s often requested afterwards, whether that’s date of birth, location, interests, or permissions to access contacts, photos, or tracking data.
The problem is that children don’t see that distinction. They’re focused on one thing: getting access to the game, the app, the platform. So, they click ‘accept’, fill in the fields, and move on, without ever questioning what’s necessary and what isn’t.
The reality is, children’s data has value and that’s why it’s being collected. What was originally designed to protect users and keep accounts secure has now become one of the main ways personal data is collected, expanded, and tracked over time.
There’s another layer to this that often gets overlooked. When children bypass age restrictions to access platforms, they’re not just getting in earlier, they’re often being treated as adult users. That means fewer built-in protections and a much wider scope for their data to be collected, profiled, and shared.
Add in the reality that much of this data collection is invisible – background tracking, permissions, in-app chat, location settings – and a detailed picture is being built over time. It’s not just what children choose to share, but what’s being taken in the background.
Why this matters now, not just later
In the short term, if children are sharing personal details, it can expose them to unwanted contact, scams, or manipulation. Often, they simply don’t understand who can see that information or how it’s being used.
Longer term, that data builds a digital footprint that’s very hard to undo. It can shape what they see online, influence behaviour, and create a digital identity they didn’t consciously choose. In many ways, privacy is being traded for convenience and children will always choose access over awareness.
A personal reflection
When my child was younger, my focus, like most parents, was on keeping them safe from people. We talked about keeping accounts private, not accepting strangers, and being careful about who they spoke to online. It was very much an extension of ‘stranger danger’, just in a digital space.
But the landscape has shifted. It’s no longer just about who children connect with. Instead, it’s about what they’re giving away, often without realising it. The risk has moved from visible interaction to invisible data. And if I’m honest, that’s a much harder conversation for parents to have because many of us didn’t grow up with it ourselves.
Supporting parents, not blaming them
This isn’t about getting it perfect; it’s about starting the conversation. Most parents are already doing the right things, but privacy can feel more complex, more technical, and often outside of their comfort zone. Parents don’t need to be cyber security experts. They just need the confidence to ask simple questions.
It can start with small habits: asking what apps children are using, talking about what information they’re asked to share, and checking settings together. Small conversations, done regularly, build awareness over time. Because if we don’t talk about it, children will learn by default from platforms, from peers, and from trial and error.
Changing the conversation
This is why this campaign matters so much. It reframes online privacy as something that should sit alongside conversations we already see as essential life skills.
At Net-Defence, we talk about embedding good behaviours, so security becomes part of everyday thinking. The same applies here, because this isn’t just about technology. It’s about awareness, habits, and giving children the tools to make better decisions.
The message is simple: We’ve always taught children how to stay safe in the physical world. Now we need to do the same in the digital one. Privacy needs to become as normal a conversation as road safety or stranger danger.
