Privacy is everywhere. Even minors have likely encountered this issue. After all, they spend a lot of time online and have probably already come across permissions involving their privacy.
The fact is that the issue has gained a lot of traction in Brazil. It's a constantly growing topic that is reaching different levels thanks to the increased need for the media to integrate with laws, mainly because of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
Even the famous comic book of Monica's Gang released an episode that aims to democratize the topic of privacy and personal data for children.
The LGPD (Brazilian General Data Protection Law) has specific rules for the processing of data belonging to minors. To provide context on the subject, internationally, Instagram was fined R$ 2,1 billion for exposing the data of minors.
What does the LGPD (Brazilian General Data Protection Law) say about the privacy of minors?
The General Data Protection Law provides a specific section for the processing of personal data of children and adolescents. In line with national and international legal and regulatory frameworks, Article 14 shows that the processing of personal data must be considered in the best interests of the child.
In other words, measures should be considered that aim to provide better guidance and determine what is most satisfactory for these minors, thus ensuring their protection.
Parental consent, or consent from at least one legal guardian of the child, is mandatory for the collection of personal data. For greater transparency, data controllers must be transparent and state what data is collected, its purpose, and how the data is collected.
A child's personal data may be collected without the consent of a parent or guardian in two situations: when necessary to contact the parents or legal guardian, and secondly, to protect the minor.
Be careful when entering data into games.
Another interesting situation concerns games and apps. They are a passion for children and teenagers and make up a large percentage of users.
In situations where data from minors is required, the LGPD (Brazilian General Data Protection Law) stipulates that controllers cannot condition a child's participation in a game or app on the provision of personal information, except for information strictly necessary to gain access to and carry out the activity.
Within this narrative, the principle of necessity comes into play, the provision of mandatory information.
So, how can I educate my children about privacy?
Teaching any law to children requires a great deal of attention, and in many situations, young people are not familiar with the technical language, the risks, nor have they been present in environments where they were affected.
The subject should be approached more lightly and with references to things they have already encountered on the internet. After all, banners about the use of cookiesFor example, many teenagers are already familiar with these methods, in addition to registering for any social network or online game.
Use their experiences to explain what can happen in cases of data breaches and teach them the importance of privacy.
