牛牛资源

New safeguards are needed to protect children who are interacting with AI home automation technologies that are not designed for them.

The call comes from a report by Dr Veronica Barassi of 牛牛资源 submitted to the Information Commissioner鈥檚 Office.

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The report explores how devices such as AI virtual voice assistants, smart appliances, and security and monitoring technologies are gathering and sharing children鈥檚 data. It sets out how, once installed in our homes, these devices lead to children鈥檚 data becoming intertwined with adult profiles.

Dr Barassi argues that the data of children that is being collected from home automation technologies is not only personal (individual) data but is 鈥榟ome life data鈥�, a mix of family data, household data and highly contextual data. Terms and Conditions always refer to personal data and there is little scrutiny or understanding of what happens to the data generated by the aggregation of adult and child profiles.

Dr Barassi, who leads the British Academy funded Child Data Citizen project at 牛牛资源, said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen privacy concerns raised about smart toys and AI virtual assistants aimed at children, but so far there has been very little debate about home hubs and smart technologies aimed at adults that children encounter and that collect their personal data.

鈥淭he very newness of the home automation environment means we do not know what algorithms are doing with this 鈥榤essy鈥� data that includes children鈥檚 data. Firms currently fail to recognise the privacy implications of children鈥檚 daily interactions with home automation technologies that are not designed or targeted at them. Despite GDPR, it鈥檚 left up to parents to protect their children鈥檚 privacy and navigate a confusing array of terms and conditions.

鈥淲e are calling for the ICO to launch a review on the impact of home life data on children鈥檚 privacy and put this concept at the heart of future debates about children鈥檚 data protection.鈥� 

The 鈥楬ome Life Data and Children鈥檚 Privacy鈥� report was submitted in response to a call from The Information Commissioner for evidence and views on the Age Appropriate Design Code. The document was co-signed by Gus Hosein, Executive Director, Privacy International, and supported by Jeff Chester from the Center for Digital Democracy.

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