2025 global privacy sweep examined websites and apps used by children
2025 global privacy sweep examined websites and apps used by children
https://channeleye.media/2025-global-privacy-sweep-examined-websites-and-apps-used-by-children/
Publish Date: 2026-03-30 04:00:00
Source Domain: channeleye.media
An international privacy ‘sweep’ has illustrated how simple, child‑friendly design choices on websites and mobile apps can make a real difference in protecting children’s personal information online.
It was carried out by the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) and involved 27 data protection and privacy authorities, including the Office of the Data Protection Authority of the Bailiwick of Guernsey (ODPA) and the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner (JOIC). The ODPA was a coordinator for the Sweep alongside the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.
Nearly 900 websites and apps used by children were reviewed. Some of these services are designed specifically for children, while others are aimed at a general audience but are popular with children.
Participating authorities looked at how these websites and apps collect and use personal information, how clearly they explain their privacy practices, whether they use age‑assurance measures, and whether they limit the amount of personal data collected. The sweep repeated a similar exercise carried out in 2015, allowing authorities to compare how children’s privacy is being protected now compared with 10 years ago.
Overall, the sweep identified several positive practices, including:
- prompts discouraging children from using real names or uploading images;
- enhanced parental controls where offered; and
- location‑sharing settings being switched off by default.
However, the sweep also highlighted areas of concern. Compared with 2015, more online services now require users to provide personal information to access full functionality. More services also state in their privacy policies that they may share personal information with third parties. These developments can increase privacy risks for children if not carefully managed.
The use of age‑assurance mechanisms has increased since 2015, but the sweep found that these measures can…
