Talking to children about data and privacy online: research methodology

With growing concerns over children’s online privacy and the commercial uses of their data, it is vital that children’s understandings of the digital environment, their digital skills and their capacity to consent are taken into account in designing services, regulation and policy. This project seeks to address questions and evidence gaps concerning children’s conception of privacy online, their capacity to consent, their functional skills (e.g., in understanding terms and conditions or managing privacy settings online), and their deeper critical understanding of the online environment, including both its interpersonal and, especially, its commercial dimensions (including its business models, uses of data and algorithms, forms of redress, commercial interests, systems of trust and governance). The project takes a child-centred approach, arguing that only in this way can researchers provide the needed integration of children’s understandings, online affordances, resulting experiences and wellbeing outcomes. Methodologically, the project prioritises children’s voices and experiences within the framework of evidence-based policy development by: • conducting focus group research with children of secondary school age, their parents, and educators, from selected schools around the UK; • creating an online toolkit to support and promote children’s digital privacy skills and awareness; • organising child juries for evaluating resources to be included in the toolkit and reviewing recommendations for privacy and data-relevant policy and practice.