How Parents Can Protect Their Children’s Online Privacy
How Parents Can Protect Their Children’s Online Privacy
https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/how-parents-can-protect-their-childrens-online-privacy.html
Publish Date: 2026-05-22 22:04:00
Source Domain: www.movieguide.org
Published: May 22, 2026
Photo from Kampus Production via Pexels
By India McCarty
Protecting your online privacy is hard enough as an adult, but for children, it can be ever more complicated.
“Adults often have a hard enough time understanding what data an app or website collects, why it’s being collected, and where it may end up. For children, those questions are even harder to grasp,” Bark reported in a blog post.
The website explained that children “can’t meaningfully consent” when they agree to a website or app’s Terms of Service. Many sites do adhere to COPPA or, The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which “requires those sites and services to notify parents directly and get their approval before they collect, use, or disclose a child’s personal information,” per the FTC’s website.
However, it’s easy for young people to get around these barriers, whether it’s inputting a fake date of birth or using a parent’s device to gain access to a site or app.
Related: What Parents Need to Know About Updated Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
Additionally, many children and teens might not even realize their data is being collected. While today’s young people are trained to withhold their names, birthdays and addresses, they might not think twice about sharing photos and videos, browsing history, contacts or in-app messages.
So, what can parents do to keep their children’s privacy safe online?
“Audit app permissions,” Bark recommended, telling parents to check which of their children’s apps have access to their location, camera, contacts and other details.
The site also said to “set privacy settings early” — “Don’t wait for your child to figure it out on their own. Set social media accounts to private by default, limit who can message or tag them. Don’t be afraid to turn on parental controls across apps and check these settings…
