Children as young as 4 years old could soon be taught the principles of data privacy and how to access official information, according to plans being hatched by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Although the ICO has stopped short of demanding the Data Protection Act 1998 – which flummoxes even data experts – joins algebra and long division on the National Curriculum, it is developing a research project to explore ways of making sure information rights are covered in primary and secondary schools.
The watchdog has already led a number of initiatives aimed at reaching young people, including a youth area on its website, a data protection DVD for secondary schools, a presence on online community games website Habbo Hotel, and an annual student brand ambassador campaign.
But it claims that expert opinion “suggests” that these initiatives have only limited chances of success unless the education of information rights becomes a more mainstream component of a young person’s formal education.
Research undertaken as part of law firm Speechly Bircham’s youth data protection campaign ‘i in online’ has found that, of over 4,000 young people questioned, 88% of secondary school respondents and 39% of primary school children have a profile on a social networking site.
Despite this, 60% of respondents hadn’t read the privacy policies of the networking sites they use, 32% didn’t know what a privacy policy was, and 23% said they didn’t know where to find it.
ICO head of strategic liaison Jonathan Bamford said: “Young people today are growing up in an age where an ever increasing amount of information is held about them. It is vital that they understand their privacy rights and how to exercise them.
“While we appreciate that some information rights issues are already covered in specific subjects encompassing IT and law, we want to see a move towards schools embedding information rights issues as part of the mainstream education process – giving young people skills that will serve them well throughout their adult lives.”
The ICO is now inviting tenders for a research partner to help examine the current landscape and make recommendations.
