Speeches
Youth website and Video PSA Contest Launch
Remarks at a news conference
Regina, Saskatchewan
June 4, 2008
Address by Elizabeth Denham
Assistant Privacy Commissioner
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We know children and young people in this country are using the Internet for all sorts of activities – primarily to socialize with their friends. And while the Internet provides a way for our kids to connect with their peers in ways we could have never imagined a generation ago, we also realize that there are a whole new set of risks that accompany this new medium.
Earlier today, Canada’s privacy commissioners had an opportunity to hear, firsthand, what Canadian youth are doing online, and what they think about their online privacy.
At all ages, they are sophisticated users of the Internet. As a generation that has grown up with the Internet, they are comfortable enough with this medium to experiment, to play with it and on it.
And while they recognize the risks associated with their online activities, they lack the knowledge to mitigate those risks.
And while there are other government initiatives in place to protect children’s personal safety while online, we felt there was a need for a public education plan that addressed the issue of online privacy specifically. We wanted to provide answers to kids with questions like:
What is personal information?
What are the consequences of poorly managing my information online?
How can I protect my personal information on the Internet?
With that in mind, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, along with our provincial and territorial colleagues, has developed a website meant to get kids thinking about their privacy, both online and offline, why it’s important, and what they can do to protect it.
At www.youthprivacy.ca, young people can find out how their personal information is captured throughout the day, and what it’s being used for.
It also offers tips on how kids can protect their information so that it can’t be used without them knowing about it.
We want youthprivacy.ca to be a place for discussion as well. Our youth blog is meant to generate conversation among young Canadians about how technology affects their privacy.
While the website has been built with a youth audience in mind, parents will find it valuable too. We’ve included a cheat sheet for parents that outlines what social networking sites are, how they work, and what privacy risks your children could be facing.
Our public education efforts are meant to engage young people, not just talk at them. So we’ve launched a national contest inviting young people across the country to create their own video public service announcement on the issue of privacy. Our contest is running right through the summer and into the fall and we hope to see some creative muscle flexed between now and then.
Canada’s privacy commissioners are excited and hopeful for their public education efforts in children’s online privacy. We look forward to building on these initial efforts and stimulating this much-needed discussion.