November 20, 2023

Dear Children, you are growing up today in a world where technology is an indispensable part of your daily life. The Internet, social networks, and smart devices provide many benefits, such as entertainment or learning, but they also carry risks, especially when it comes to privacy.

Of course, new technologies should be used, but one can never be too careful and responsible. Very often you are not aware of how much personal data is shared through social networks or online games. Always think carefully about what data you are about to share online, or what information you are about to give or grant access to e.g. when creating a profile on a social network or when downloading an application or game. Avoid publishing information such as name and surname, address, phone number, or personally identifiable details that could be used for purposes you don’t want to (just as you wouldn’t tell a stranger you met on the street in the real world).

Before publishing or sharing photos or videos, think about both yourself and the people near and dear to you, family members, friends, etc. Photos and videos can disclose a lot of information about you (eg where you live, which school you attend, or a park or cafe you go to, etc.), so it's important to be careful when sharing them. Think, would you put a photo of yourself that you have already shared on your social media profile, e.g. in the school hall or on a billboard on the street for everyone to see? And, not to forget, the internet is much wider, it is not just limited to school, street, city...

Over time, think about who will be able to see your posts containing personal data, ie. have you ensured that the content you share can only be seen by those you allowed to or is it available to a wider circle of people, and also have you secured the profile itself with a sufficiently strong password that will not be easily broken (e.g. date of birth, name someone close to you, the name of a pet, etc.).

Also, think do you want the jokes you share among your friends, your gettings-ready to go out, the recorded moment when you were fooling around alone or with friends… to be seen one day by your friends' parents, your teachers, etc, or maybe by someone else whose opinion you will care a lot about, and also by doing this whether you were violating someone else's privacy without their given consent.

By sharing information about yourself, you could expose yourself to various problems, because your data can be misused by those who do not have the best intentions, also put yourself in real danger or expose yourself to the comments of malicious people.

Always remember that what is once posted on the internet can stay there forever. Try to understand that some posts can have long-term consequences for your future.

Talk to your parents, older brothers, sisters, or some other trusted older person about online safety. Sometimes they may have helpful tips that could help you.

Also, take a look at the brochure "Personal data is our treasure, how can we protect it?" (Serbian language only) which was published on the Commissioner’s website.

As a society, it’s our responsibility to provide a safe environment for children to grow up and develop. This includes proper protection of their privacy. Raising awareness of the importance of protecting children's privacy should be a continuous process involving children, parents, schools, technology companies, and society as a whole.

 

Commissioner Milan Marinović and his Expert Office wish you a happy World Children's Day.