I hope you all had a fantastic, shorter week — and if you're anything like me, maybe you needed an extra cup of coffee (or three) to help get used to the back-to-school madness. With that in mind, I've been thinking about how this time of year brings privacy issues for children and young people to the forefront. And, as always, there's a lot happening in that space right now.
Just last Friday, in case you didn't see it, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced new funding for research projects focused on children's privacy and the impact of technology. These projects will dive into critical issues like how immersive virtual reality environments are designed to manipulate user decisions and how artificial intelligence interacts with young people's privacy.
Some of the projects include looking at social logins, like those using Facebook or Google, and how they affect children's privacy, as well as the privacy risks tied to mobile gaming apps — something a lot of kids could level up on. There's also work being done to evaluate how well Canadian laws are keeping up with these changes, especially when it comes to emotional AI and its impact on children.
Meanwhile, don't forget the OPC's exploratory consultation on privacy and age-appropriate design, announced back at the IAPP Canada Privacy Symposium 2024 in Toronto this spring, closes 10 Sept. This is such a critical issue, and it's tricky for many organizations to manage. I hope lots of people offer their input, so the guidance the OPC produces on this topic makes the grade, protects kids' privacy and works in the real world. If you haven't already submitted your feedback, there's still time on the clock.
Also timed with back-to-school are some handy children's privacy resources for teachers. You may recall Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner worked with Media Smarts to create classroom lesson plans based on their super fun Privacy Pursuit! activity booklet.
And on International Youth Day a couple weeks ago, Quebec's Access to Information Commission also made a variety of tools available to teachers, such as educational kits, activities, workshops and videos.
Privacy at school isn't just for the little kids. It was also my first week back teaching privacy law at the University of Ottawa. I've noticed my class size has increased significantly, which suggests privacy is becoming an area of even greater interest. I was delighted by the enthusiasm and curiosity of this year's group — it's always encouraging to see more people passionate about privacy.
Here's to a much-needed weekend, because who couldn't use a little recess? I know I can.
Kris Klein, CIPP/C, CIPM, FIP, is the managing director for Canada for the IAPP.