Passwords are a type of identity that allows us to personally log in to sites and accountsthat no one else has access to.
However, when children use the internet, parents are often the ones who have control over their passwords, so they can access what their child sees.
According to a 2013 McAfee study, up to 74% of parents control their children's passwords. In other words, parents exercise more than just the right to control their child's personal information: they have the right to impersonate their child themselves
By taking control of children's core identity at a particularly critical time in their development, adults increase the risk of influencing the fragile mechanisms that their children need to begin to understand, such as the right to privacy.
Children's creation of passwords is a cornerstone in understanding the digital world. The freedom to control their own passwords has an immediate and lasting impact on understanding not only the concept of identity, but also the critical concepts of confidentiality, trust and human rights.
In fact, depending on the age and duration of such privacy violations, the development of strong personal identities may be affected, particularly in an era when so much of modern existence is tied to digital identities. Such confusion may explain or at least be related to some of the online behaviors of young people and even adults.
The need for parents to control their children to such an extent needs to be mitigated. After all, in this day and age, there are many tools that can help parents monitor their children’s online activity to feel safe. According to Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, young people are more likely to be aware of and use restrictive privacy controls compared to older users in Canada.
Therefore, the solution is to teach the child from an early age the importance of protecting their privacy on the internet and to inform them about the dangers, without depriving them of the ability to face them with their own strength and our help.
