COVER STORY

The Eight to Protect

Concerns are rising over the extensive tracking of young people's online data.

ast year, Edward Thomas, now

17, quit social media entirely.

it wasn't an easy decision,

especially since most of his
These targeted ads make me
friends use social media to
message each other. But the Chicago teen feel like Itm being watched...
worried about online companies tracking
his activities and using that information
to eithermake money or influence the
lönd of content shown in his feeds.
"Social media and

other Big Tech

companies have no
TRY NEW/
legal obligation to
share how they Cola
use our consumer
behavior, like how
much time we
spend on TikTok
and what we like,"

Edward says. "For all I

know, they could be scanning through

messages I'm sending my friends. "
Many privacy experts say Edward
is right to be concerned. Internet
giants such as Facebook and Google
have long fracked people's internet
browsing, studying their habits and
using that information for advertising
(see 'What They Do With Your Data,"
p. 10). If, say, someone were to scroll

through Instagram and then click

on a website selling shoes, marketers

might start targeting that person

with footwear ads. It's a big business:
The digital ad industry was worth
$522.5 billion in 2021 and is growing
rapidly. Smartphones have made it even
easier to tack people's data, including say. These platforms can look at-your Some platforms can even use credit

their locations and health details. friends, online activity, location, and card numbers to monitor your offline

You might be surprised by how much more. They can then put together a purchases.

social media companies know about detailed picture of who they think you Experts are particularly worried

are. Much of that is informaüon you about these companies tracking the
you. Maybe you've entered your birthday
may never have disclosed, such personal data of young children
and gender into your profile, and you
follow a few influencers or brands. But as your political beliefs, your and teens, putting their

companies can uncover a lot more than mental and physical health, privacy at risk to make
and who lives with you- money. There's also
what you've told them, privacy experts

8 • UPFRONTMAGAZJNE.COM
 o WATCH A
UPFRONTMACAZINE.COM
at
VIDEO Freaking Out About Privacy

Online Privacy
Some governments are starting to act. BY CHRISANNE GRISÉ

Last September,
for example, the

European Union
fined Meta (the parent

?lN6.l company of Facebook

and roughly $400 million
for breaking data privacy laws in
its
its Üeatment of children's data on
treament
Instagram.
In.stagram. At the same time, California
passed a law—similar to one passed in
passed

PROTECT YOOR Kmgdom in 2021—that

United Kngdom
apps and
require•many apps
2021—that will
sites to install
install
FRoM
BRAIN FROM e-z±ails users under 18, such as
18, such as

INTROSION!
ION ! on the highest privacy
turning on-the
turning privacy settings
- by ua1Tlt
*efaTTlt preventing strangers
preventing from
strangers from
minors.
messaging minors. I think it
Headwear scme online
Although some platforms
online platforms means
and civil liberties experts have pushed
civil liberties
"always
back against efforts, many U.S.
these efforts,
against these U.S.
lawmakers from both
lawraakers both parties say
say they
they
" or
remain committed to taking action.
to taking action. "perma-
Tech has
"Big Tech
"Big has brazenly
brazenly failed children
failed children nently"
ONLY $q.qq and betrayed its trust," says
its trust," Connecticut
says Connecticut
(it
Senator Richard
Senator Blumenthal, "putting
Richard Blumenthal, "putting
profits
profits above
above safety."
safety."
means
in a
Always Watching bold
social media Won't protect
Avoiding social
Avoiding
and sh-
protect

you entirely, according to

entirely, according to experts.
experts.
your zumbE
zumbe? is in many
probably in
is probably
amele-
people's phones,
other people's
other when they
phones, and when they s way)
upload their
upload contacts to
their contacts friends on
find friends
to find

an app,
app, your number's included.
your number's That
included. That
online companies figure
helps online
helps figure out your
out your
network,
social rietwork,
social them infer
lets them
which lets infer

about you.
things about
things you.
platforms have
Several platforms
Several been
have been
accused of
accused exploiting children's
of exploiting children's
growing
growing concern
concern that social media
that social case, European
Meta's case,
In Meta's
datA- In

platforms are using

platforms are using the information to
the information to regulators found that
regulators found the
that the

out what will

figure out
figure rile young
will rile young people
people
You might terms of
terms agreement
Service agreement
of Service
up or
or to play on their
to play their insecurities
insecurities be surprised language that
included language
included that
get them to stay on
on the meant users
effectively meant
effecüvely must
users must
to get
to to stay platforms
the platforms
by how much
ultimately harming their
longer, ultimately
longer, their mental
mental allow their
either allow
either their data be
to be
data to
health. That's
health. That's why some governments
governments social media used for
used ads or
personalized ads
for personalized or stop
stop
are frying
are trying to
to better safeguard minors'
better safeguard minors' using Meta's services
using Meta's services altogether.
altogether. (In
(In
online
online data.
companies Meta said
statement, Meta approach
data. aa statement, its approach
said its
know about you.
MAY., 19.
MA_Y.O$. 202> 9
2023 9
respects the law and that it would
appeal the decision.)
Other companies have faced similar
charges. In 2019, Google and the
operators of TikTok (then known
as Musical.ly) each agreed to pay
multimillion-dollar federal fines in the

U.S. to settle charges that they had Many online companies

collected personal information from

children without parental permission

have been accused of
and used it to target kids with ads. And exploiting minors' data.
in December, Epic Games, the creator
of Fortnite, agreed to pay $275 million example, noticed that Instagram kept also controlling it from behind and I'm
to settle accusations that it had illegally showing him content that negatively almost victim to it."

collected children's personal data. affected his body image.

Instagram in particular has been "I felt like, 0K, I'm trying to step Significant Shift'
under scrutiny in Europe and the U.S. away from this, but at the same time, For a long Mme, there wa-æ'+-
for its policies related to children, I'm also continuing to be fed the same regulaåons about how
including how its recommendation content that's not helping me," Edward companies should
algorithm—which determines what says. "That was-my-first realizafion that data, particularly for anaer lb. in
posts users see—affects self-esteem social media is not just something that 1998, the federal governmen.t enacted the
and mental health. Edward, for I'm controlling, but somebody else is Children's Online Privacy Protectior: -Act

(COPPA), which most pcpular

online services in the country to bar users

under age 13—but many young people

What They Do With Your Data have found ways around that.
Some governments have begun
exploring what else can be done to keep
* A tech company That information Your data can also be
children safer online. 'Ihe first major
tracks your online can be sold to fed to an algorithm,
behavior and
change came in "2020, when the U.K.
advertisers, who'll which will determine
compiles a profile target you with what types of
passed sweeping new online protections

of your interests, ads related to your content are likely to

for minors. The rules required social

locations, political profile. rile you up or appeal -networks, gaming apps, and other
views, health, and to your insecurities online services that are likely to be used
more. so you'll stay on the by people under 18 to overhaul how 2

platform longer. they handle users' pexsonal informåäon.

In particular, •the. reguiaions requfre
platforms to turn on the highest
DONIT WORRY, IT'S ONLY possiblé privacy settings by default
MARKETERS COLLECTING for minors and turn off by default
OUR PERSONAL DATA data-mining practices like targeted
SO THEY CAN CREATE adverüsing and location fracking.
MORE RELEVANT "This is a significant shift in the
ADVERTISING FOR US. landscape," Elizabeth Denham, Britain's

information commissioner who drafted

the rules, said at the time. "The code
is a set of principles and standards that
require companies to think about, to
focus on, and to be accountable for the

way they are serving children:"

Some lawmakers in the U.S. are

TOM looking to follow in the U.K;'s footsteps.

In September, California's govemor

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 {i

signéd a law that will

the first
make the
in the nation to require online
state way advertisers
minors on their
can
sites.
tailor messages to
How to Protect
I think civil
services to design their products and Congress could eventually enact Yourself Online
features with the best interests of a federal law. Last July, senators Although it's impossible to completely
liberties young users in mind. A handful of intoduced the Kids Online Safety Act avoid being tracked by online companies,

are people other states have since begun creating (ROSA), under which platforms would experts say you can take some actions

regulations of their own. to make things safer.

who fight have a duty to protect young people in a
But not evelyone is on board. Trade variety of ways, including preventing the
for civil groups note that laws such as these Think twice before agreeing
promotion of harmful behaviors, giving
rights, such may ultimately lead to fewer online parents of children under 16 the ability to to share your location data

as lawyers. services for young people. opt out of algorithmic recommendations,

with an app or website.

"Some people may see this as a

(The and keeping third parties from accessing
2. Turn on the maximum privacy
victory for children, but we'll actually minors' data. The -biparåsan bill failed
dictionary see a restriction in the services that to •make it out of the Senate last year,
settings for every app you

definition for start-ups can build foi kids," says

but lawmakers say they're working 3. Consider-using an encrypted

civil iberties Dom Hallas, executive director of the to get it reinfroduced this session. .messaging service, such ay;-

Coalifion for a Digital
is, "
advocacy group for start-ups that has
the state of received funding from tech companies
Economy, an Some civil liberties expel# have WhatsApp or iMessage (as topg as
the text bubbles are blue, mepninq
concems, however, arguing that
legislation that singles out
they're sent securely). End-tom

being such as Google, Intuit, and Stripe. children would require

end encryption scrambles your
-texts, makinq_jt harder-for
subject only companies to do the
—third-pactiesrinéiudinq-onllnæ
o A Federal Privacy Law?
to laws
same, increasing their companies, to gain
Although these laws apply only in surveillance of everyone
established the U.K. and California, experts say simply to identify those 4, Speak up about chan
for the good they may så]l protect minors in other young users covered you'd like to"see, whet
places, as online services may choose with your friendS
of the
it's
under the new law.
o to introduce their changes globally.
EJawmakers. "More "Ices.
we
community,
Instead, they say,
can Jead to more
In the wake of such legislation, many should be focusing on
especially major platforms have announced privacy for all.
says- Vicki Harrison,
program director for
with regard new safeguards for younger users "There's a clear need the Stanford Center

to freedom worldwide: TikTok has promised to to have a federal privacy forYouth Mental He4!th
stop sending app notifications to teens law that protects everyone, " and Wetlbeing.
of action at night, for example, while Facebook says India McKinney,
and speech." and Google have begun restricting the director of federal affairs for

the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

"Let's do comprehensive privacy for
'I don't want everyone and see how that works.

.t •.e.ii•:_
my data to And if we need to put additional
privacy protections in place [for kids)
be taken and after that, then let's talk about it."

other advocates—including
used against me: Still,

Edward, who campaigned in favor of

Califomia's bill—feel that these privacy

efforts are moving in the right direction.

'tl don't know what's going on with
my data—and this is for the rest of
my life," Edward says. "I don't want
my data to be taken and used against
me—almost manipulating me—
Tech should be designed especially at such a young age." e
with kids in mind
Edward Thomas, 17, wants
With reporting by Adam Satariano
stricter chifdren's privacy laws.
and Natasha Singer of The New York Times.