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Urge ICO to proactively engage manufacturers on child-friendly privacy settings for connected tech.

Recommendation
The use of connected tech in schools and by children in homes raises concerns, including the harvesting and third-party use of children’s data and their lack of control over what technology is used and when. The Government and ICO were quick to dismiss our concerns about this issue. We urge the ICO to take a more proactive approach in engaging with manufacturers of connected toys and education technology. It should ensure that all products include: terms and conditions that are age-appropriate; privacy settings that are intuitive for children and help them exercise data rights; and fully explain the benefits and risks of data processing. Industry should be supported in this through comprehensive guidance, independent research and user- testing.
Paragraph Reference
51
Government Response

A response document is linked to this report, dated 24 November 2023. Response attribution to this recommendation has not been verified. Read the response document.

Addressee Bodies
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Timeline
Recommendation age 3.1 yrs
Report published 07 Aug 2023