As the world around us evolves, more of our daily lives have shifted into digital spaces. Education, work, socialising, news, and entertainment are now largely experienced online. In this environment, it is easy to forget the risks that come with constant connectivity. Privacy is something many of us say we value, yet we often only think about it when something goes wrong. There is no single settled definition for privacy; the boundaries shift with context, depending on who is watching and what is being collected. This is why ordinary habits can feel harmless right up until the moment they cause harm.
Your Data Collected and Stored, Forever
As adults, our privacy may not be as protected as we assume, partly because everyday habits make surveillance feel ordinary. Through the cookies we accept without a second thought, our information is constantly monitored and stored. Rejecting cookies can limit access to certain websites or articles, which can pressure users into consenting. What many do not know is that by accepting, the cookies can store and track data such as IP addresses, device details, and online behavioural patterns, including browsing activity.
A similar erosion of privacy can be seen in the workplace. Workplace monitoring shows how blurred the line between public and private has become. It is now commonplace for employers to review staff members’ social media to monitor behavior. Many companies also require work apps on personal phones, giving themselves access to employees’ personal data. These practices raise questions about whether we are still being afforded the right to a private life, and highlight the need to keep work and personal devices separate.
Adults Don’t Take Online Privacy Seriously. How Can We Expect Kids to?
As for children, many are surrounded by technology and are introduced to social media long before they can fully understand it. Pictures and content shared about children online are easier to exploit than ever before in this new age of AI.
AI systems are trained on vast collections of real images without consent, meaning once a photo is absorbed into these systems, it can be used to generate, edit, or recreate whatever images the user desires. They have already been misused to produce Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). There are no restrictions on parents posting their children’s personal information online, so awareness of how easily that information can be expanded, manipulated, or repurposed without consent must grow.
% of 8-12 year olds who post videos online and whether they experienced cyberbullying
Data: CybersafeKida.ie
Children Increasingly Exploited for Clicks
In the UK, there are legal protections for children online, such as the Children’s Code, UK GDPR, and the Online Safety Act. However, these frameworks do not fully address the realities of children’s visibility in public and semi-public digital spaces. ‘Kidfluencers’ have no labour protections, because current regulations do not apply to such a non-traditional “career.” The children of celebrities are also presumed not to have a right to privacy, but more often have the resources to protect themselves. When a photographer published images of Prince William and Princess Catherine’s children on a private holiday, the couple successfully took action for the invasion of their private family lives. Unfortunately, though, ordinary families who share their children online rarely receive this level of protection.
Ultimately, the biggest risk to our privacy today is how normalised exposure online has become. We have accepted a reward system where giving up small pieces of our autonomy allows us access, convenience, and opportunities, only noticing damage after it has already been done. Children, the most vulnerable minority in the world, are particularly at risk because they can be targeted and influenced early with consequences that last a lifetime. Thinking before posting is a start, but lasting change will require global systematic protections that give everyone real control over their privacy.
This article was written by a guest contributor, K. Kanli.
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