A Code for Age-Appropriate Design of Digital Experiences, is now in Effect in the UK

AEC’s Consumer Products Monitor

At a time when consumer privacy concerns are increasing around the world, the UK has emerged with a new code for children’s digital experiences.   The ICO (the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office) has created the Age Appropriate Design Code, which comes into force from today, with a 12 month transition period.   The Age Appropriate Design Code is intended to protect children, and is aimed at designers and developers of online services and products.  The code is a set of 15 standards that these designers should follow so as to comply with the data protection law, and includes things like making sure the privacy settings are set to ‘high’ by default.

According to the ICO website, ” … Data sits at the heart of the digital services children use every day. From the moment a young person opens an app, plays a game or loads a website, data begins to be gathered. Who’s using the service? How are they using it? How frequently? Where from? On what device?   For all the benefits the digital economy can offer children, we are not currently creating a safe space for them to learn, explore and play.   This statutory code of practice looks to change that, not by seeking to protect children from the digital world, but by protecting them within it.”

The ICO office provides details about the new code on its website at:  Age appropriate design: a code of practice for online services