Privacy Commissioner | Global Survey: Rising Privacy Risks on Children's Websites and Apps

The Privacy Commissioner’s Office, in collaboration with 26 global privacy enforcement agencies last year, conducted a joint operation reviewing nearly 900 websites and mobile apps used by children. It found that some platforms pose increased privacy risks to children compared to 2015.

This “Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) Spot Check” took place from November 3 to 7, 2025. It revealed that an increasing number of online services for children now require users to provide personal information to access all platform features. Compared to 2015, there has been a rise in the mandatory collection of certain categories of children’s personal data, including names and phone numbers. Most platforms also indicate in their privacy policies that they may share children’s personal data with third parties.

Privacy Commissioner: Children Cannot Fully Understand Their Privacy Rights

Privacy Commissioner Alice Li Cheng Lai stated that because children’s cognitive abilities are still developing, they may not fully understand their privacy rights regarding personal data. As a result, they face greater privacy risks when using websites and mobile apps with inadequate privacy protections or poor design.

She urged organizations to prioritize children’s welfare when collecting, processing, and using their personal data. They should adopt “Privacy by Design” and “Default Privacy” approaches, ensuring privacy safeguards are incorporated from the early stages of product and service development, so children can safely use online services.