Do you know what data, and how much of it, you produce when you hang out online? Do you know what happens to that data trail when you turn off or log out?
We asked a series of questions of our young people and their carers for the eSafety Commission funded project, Emerging Issues for Young People on Social Media, to try and gauge what they know about their online data.
Interestingly, and while most gave some kind of explanation of what online data is, the results were incredibly mixed. While most people said “protection of personal/confidential information” (37% youth, 47% parents), overall the results demonstrated that there is no clear understanding of data privacy.
Some participants confused consent with privacy, with a striking response of “not sure” (10% youth, 8% parents). Only half of the young people were confident in their understanding of data privacy.
This week and next, we speak to one of the leading researchers for young people and data privacy, Professor of Internet Studies, Tama Leaver, from Curtin University. In this educational resource, Professor Leaver not only points to where the problems can lie, but also how to take a positive position to have increased control over one’s data.
We will be adding snippets from the interview across our social media accounts and for the full interview, please watch it below or see the Educational Resources here: https://youthonlinesafety.org/education/