Dear Principal,

I am writing to inform you that the Data Protection Commission (DPC) has published three short guides for children on data protection and their rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The purpose of these guides is to explain in language that children can easily understand what data protection is and why it’s important, what data protection rights are and how to use them, and to give children practical advice on keeping their personal data safe in the digital environment. These guides are intended mainly for children aged 13 and over.

The protection of children’s personal data is an important priority for the DPC, and is one of the five core goals of our 2022-2027 Regulatory Strategy published at the end of last year. We have also recently published the final version of our “Fundamentals” guidance on children’s data protection rights for organisations that collect children’s personal data.

Protecting children’s personal data also means giving children the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe when they go online. The DPC is keenly aware of the constructive role that schools such as yours can play in this regard in engaging children in debates and discussions on online privacy. In 2019, we organised a public consultation on children’s data protection rights, as part of which we contacted every school in Ireland and invited them to get involved. We are very grateful to all schools and children that took part.

With this in mind, I would be grateful if you would consider sharing these guides with your pupils or publishing them on your school website so that more children will have the opportunity to read them and learn about their data protection rights.

English and Irish language versions of our guides can be found on our website by clicking on the following links and I have included more information on each of the guides below:

1. https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/dpc-guidance/childrens-data-protection-rights 

2. https://www.dataprotection.ie/ga/dpc-guidance/cearta-cosanta-sonra%C3%AD-leana%C3%AD       (In Irish)

Data protection – what’s it all about?

This guide introduces children and young people to the idea of personal data and data protection, and why it’s important for them to know about it.

My data protection rights

Each of these short guides introduces children to a different data protection right and how to use it. These guides can be read together or separately.

Top tips for keeping your data safe online

This guide has fifteen useful tips to help children – and indeed everyone – keep their personal data safe when they go online.

The DPC hopes that these guides will not only help children keep their data safe, but will also be useful to parents, educators and anyone interested in children’s safety and wellbeing online.

If you have any questions about these guides or the activities of the DPC in this area, please feel free to contact us at childrensconsultation@dataprotection.ie

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Carroll

Assistant Commissioner – Children’s Policy Unit