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“The ABC can exclusively reveal the dangerous ways some of Australia's most popular children's apps are tracking kids and creating life-long profiles. Of 208 popular apps audited in three categories by Children and Media Australia (CMA), close to 60 per cent had some level of problematic data collection.
The CMA looked at three categories, including "very risky" apps that transfer data in a way vulnerable to hacking and "risky" apps which transfer two personal identifiers to ad companies – a practice called "ID Bridging" which makes it impossible to opt out of being tracked.
The risky apps range from popular games with millions of downloads, to trusted educational and communication tools. Advocates say the data highlights the hidden nature of ad-tracking, and the need to improve privacy protections for children.”
Links:
https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2089/7633/
https://engagestandards.ieee.org/Childrens-tech-design-governance.html
https://www.katinamichael.com/public-speaking/2022/5/11/making-the-digital-world-age-appropriate
Citation: Katina Michael with Paul Turton, 21 July 2022, “Children's Apps, Privacy and Lifelong Tracking”, ABC Newcastle: Drive, https://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/programs/drive/drive/13973848