The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said that the importance of data privacy should be embedded in the formal education process to protect young peole from getting exploited in the Web world.
The ICO cited a research undertaken by ‘i in online’ which found that, of over 4,000 young, 88% of secondary school respondents and 39% of primary school children have a profile on a social networking site. But 60% of respondents had not read the privacy policies of the networking sites they use, 32% did not know what a privacy policy was, and 23% said they did not know where to find it.
The ICO head of strategic liaison Jonathan Bamford said young people today are growing up in an age where an ever increasing amount of information is held about them.
"It is vital that they understand their privacy rights and how to exercise them," Bamford said.
Bamford added, "The Freedom of Information Act is an important tool in holding decision makers to account. By being aware of their rights to access information, young people will feel more empowered to ask important questions about the things that matter to them – be it about their local leisure centre, or what the government is doing on university tuition fees or the environment."
"While we appreciate that some information rights issues are already covered in specific subjects encompassing IT and law, we want to see a move towards schools embedding information rights issues as part of the mainstream education process – giving young people skills that will serve them well throughout their adult lives."
The ICO has also launched a research project to explore ways of getting information rights issues covered in primary and secondary education systems in the UK.
The research project aims to ensure that young people are aware of the threats to their privacy and how to protect themselves, understanding the practical and legal safeguards that can help them.
The project will also explore how young people can be encouraged to exploit the increasing availability of public information to their advantage, said the ICO.
