What does it mean to take candy from a baby? This old idiom describes something that is easy to achieve—but it also speaks of a fundamental power difference. An adult can easily separate sugary treats from infants because they are much bigger and stronger. The babies have no chance because it’s an uneven match.
This old idiom popped into my mind as I sat down to write this week’s newsletter. Lately, I’ve been looking at the design decisions that have a big impact on children’s safety online, and today, I’m focusing on one of the mandates from the Age Appropriate Design Code called the detrimental use of data. In a nutshell, companies that make apps for kids should not use children’s personal data in ways that are detrimental to their wellbeing. Nor should they use children’s data in ways that go against industry codes, regulations or government advice.
It’s simple: don’t use children’s data against them. Under US laws, tech companies need to get consent from parents to collect data from children under 13. But all too often, tech companies treat children’s data like candy. They collect it when they shouldn’t and then they go on to use it in questionable ways.
Last week, I covered a story in the TL;DR section on YouTube Kids. In case you missed it, new research indicates that YouTube and parent company Google may have tracked children across the web. According to the report, about 300 brands’ ads were served on channels designated “for kids.” These were ads for adult products like cars and bank accounts—and if a child clicked on them, they were sent to the brands’ website and subsequently tracked using “persistent cookies.” Google, for its part, claims that it hasn’t violated any laws, and all of this is permissible under current legislation.
It’s worth noting here that Google has a history of stepping in it when it comes to collecting children’s data. Back in 2019, they agreed to pay a $170M fine for violating children’s privacy. As part of the settlement, they said they would stop tracking children and collecting data from users watching children’s videos. So why would Google tread so close to the line here?
I’d venture a guess that Big Tech companies like Google aren’t really deterred by fines, even when they’re $170M fines. That’s because it took parent company Alphabet just over 9 hours to generate that revenue—and YouTube itself just over 3 days. The sum was symbolic rather than a deterrent.
Children’s group Fairplay asserts that Google isn’t really following through on its commitments to protect children’s privacy. They say they were able to use Google advertising tools to serve ads exclusively on children’s videos. They ran the ads on channels like Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes, Talking Tom and Like Nastya. Fairplay has lodged a complaint with the FTC, asking them to investigate Google’s ad practices, but again, Google claims that they show a variety of ads on kids’ channels, and many of those ads are for adults.
Google does this because it can. The laws that protect children’s safety and privacy online are not enforced in a manner that deters the behavior. And, the incentives for Google to collect and leverage data are just too great to resist. For them, it’s like taking candy from a baby.
These platforms weren’t designed for children, so when children use them, they can harm their wellbeing. That’s because these adult platforms are built to collect as much data as possible and use it to generate money. They track us across the internet and use the information they collect to target us with ads. It’s in the very nature of these platforms to use our data in a way that’s detrimental to kids.
I don’t know if Google is doing this kind of thing on purpose. But I do think that it’s likely to keep happening because the platforms are optimized to do it. In order for technology to be safe for children, it needs to be built for safety from the ground up. We’ve seen, time after time, that retrofitting adult platforms for children doesn’t work. When you’re building tech for younger users, you need to think about every design decision at length to ensure you’re building something that’s good for kids. You need to be proactive about protecting children because that’s the only way to design something that gives them the best of technology, without exposure to the worst of it.
A deeper dive
Here are a few helpful resources in case you want to really dig into today's topic:
After Google paid their record-setting $170M fine, they said they would limit the collection of users’ data and stop serving personalized ads on channels for kids. But, nonetheless, watchdogs have concerns about the way the ad platform is operating. Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a nonprofit focused on digital privacy says that Google has “created a conveyor belt that is scooping up the data of children.” Perhaps that’s why this keeps happening.
It seems to me that Google is playing in some kind of grey area, claiming that these are really personalized ads. It’s like they’re saying all this is fine based on a technicality—but that definitely isn’t in the spirit of keeping kids safe online.
TL;DR
Too long; didn't read. It shouldn't be a full-time job to keep up on industry news, so here is a mercifully quick summary of some other notable developments:
Pinterest is rolling out some new safety features meant to keep teenage users safer on the platform. One of the new updates will automatically wipe followers from any user 15 and younger, forcing them to start fresh and connect with followers that they specifically choose.
When ChatGPT first hit the scene last November, many schools quickly blocked access. That’s because this AI tool can generate very convincing text—and potentially complete homework assignments for students. But, outright bans on technology never work. Educating kids about new tech is a much better strategy than burying your head in the sand—and I’m glad to see that many schools are reversing their bans.
And lastly
Here are a few more pieces of original writing from me and my team—just in case you're keen for more:
Media literacy is arguably one of the most important skills for kids to learn. It might not be a traditional part of the curriculum, but it’s increasingly crucial and children spend more and more time online. Here’s an interview we did with a media literacy expert, who shared some of her best tips for teaching kids to think critically.
Lots of kids will be using new devices this year at school, and one of the most popular ones is a Chromebook. My team put together this handy guide to help parents set up and secure a new device, whether it’s on loan from school or yours to keep.