Surveillance Technologies and Children
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Surveillance Technologies and Children Report prepared by the Research Group of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada October 2012 Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Why surveillance? ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Affordable, available, and easy to use ............................................................................................................ 2 Technology as a parental aid .......................................................................................................................... 3 State control ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Commercial profit ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Effects of surveillance on children ...................................................................................................................... 4 Trust and secrecy ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Autonomy, risk assessment, and social development .................................................................................... 6 Digital literacy ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Understanding privacy .................................................................................................................................... 7 Children/youth Surveillance and PIPEDA – experience thus far ......................................................................... 8 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30 Victoria Street – 1st Floor, Gatineau, QC K1A 1H3 • Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376 • Fax: (819) 994-5424 • TDD (819) 994-6591 www.priv.gc.ca • Follow us on Twitter: @privacyprivee Introduction The purpose of this paper is to summarize existing research on the effects of technical surveillance on children, taking into account video and other means of surveillance, and to develop a better understanding of what impact surveillance has on children’s experiences of, and attitudes toward, privacy. The aim is to inform thinking on the overarching privacy challenge posed by child and youth surveillance. Only surveillance taking place in Western countries like Canada is discussed; a broader study of possible impacts across different cultures and religions is excluded from the scope. In the words of David Lyon, surveillance is “a key feature of contemporary life which is both so routine and taken-for-granted that it seems unremarkable and yet simultaneously has such far reaching 1 consequences that it demands social scientific scrutiny.”0F Surveillance is defined as “focussed, systematic and routine attention to personal details for the purpose of influence, management, 2 protection or direction.”1F We live in an information society where vast quantities of data about us are gathered and analysed through automated processes. Companies keep track of our purchases, our web surfing habits, and our online social interactions in order to market to us more effectively. Governments monitor our financial transactions, cross-border travel and cyber activities in the name of preventing crime and mitigating terrorism risks. We are no longer surprised when our activities and movements are monitored and recorded - by security cameras, by loyalty programs, by online social networks and merchants, by border security agents, and a multitude of other features of everyday life. Increasingly, we are no longer passive subjects of surveillance but rather active participants, by volunteering information about ourselves for financial rewards when we publicize our location to obtain coupons from nearby merchants, or to enhance our social standing by maintaining an active social networking presence. It is also becoming commonplace for individuals to monitor the actions of others, for 3 4 5 example, publicly posting videos of rude bus drivers,2F couples fighting,3F or rioters4F vandalizing and looting. Arguably, no one is monitored more closely in our society than children and young people. From their earliest days, children have cameras trained on them – video baby monitors in cribs, nanny cams, Internet-enabled surveillance in daycares. As children get older and more autonomous, the 1 Lyon, David. “Surveillance, Power and Everyday Life.” Oxford Handbook of Information and Communication Technologies.Oxford University Press, 2007. http://220.227.128.112/downloads/CriticalPerspectives/Reading%20Material%20CPT-S7/oxford_handbook.pdf Accessed Dec. 13, 2011. 2 Lyon, David. “Surveillance Studies: An Overview. Cambridge: Polity. 2007. 3 “Ottawa bus driver berates, swers at ‘mildly autistic’ passenger” The Huffington Post, November 7, 2011. Retrieved on Dec. 10, 2012 from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/11/07/ottawa-bus-driver-swears-passenger-mental-ill- disabled_n_1079280.html 4 “It’s not safe to break up in a Burger King anymore” Gawker, Nov. 8, 2011. Retrieved on Dec. 13, 2011 from http://gawker.com/5857507/it-is-not-safe-to-break-up-in-a-burger-king-any-more 5 “Vancouver fans riot as Canucks lose Stanley Cup” Mashable, June 15, 2011. Retrieved on Dec. 13, 2011 from http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/vancouver-hockey-riot/ and “Public Safety, Private Security, and Temporary Re-deployable Video Surveillance Cameras at Outdoors Public Events” University of Victoria. Forthcoming research under the OPC’s Contributions Program. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30 Victoria Street – 1st Floor, Gatineau, QC K1A 1H3 • Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376 • Fax: (819) 994-5424 • TDD (819) 994-6591 1 www.priv.gc.ca • Follow us on Twitter: @privacyprivee monitoring continues. In the U.S. and Canada, a multimillion dollar industry markets software that allows parents to monitor their children’s online and cell phone communications and activities. GPS 6 devices like the AmberAlert GPS5F (tag line: Mommy in the Sky) are sold to parents who want to track their children’s whereabouts. Security cameras in schools and on school buses are commonplace. 7 Schools in the U.K. have been testing RFID tracking of students,6F whereby an RFID tag is embedded in clothing or a badge and a central system keeps track of students’ movements. Palm scanners 8 installed in school cafeterias in the U.S allow parents to monitor their children’s food choices.7F Some 9 U.K. schools have been replacing library cards with fingerprint scanners, in school libraries.8F Waterparks in the U.S. have introduced RFID bracelets to replace room keys, and charge cards, and 10 11 to facilitate uploading of holiday pictures to Facebook.9F One of Canada’s largest waterparks10F allows patrons to link their fingerprints to an account that allows them to pay for snacks and souvenirs by having their fingerprints scanned. Corporations monitor and track children online so they can compile profiles based on their online activities. These profiles are often used to deliver targeted ads. Finally, ever-present security cameras record individuals’ movements generally for purposes of law enforcement and crime prevention. In short, our society has embraced surveillance tools. However, there has been relatively little research and public debate about the effects of surveillance on children. This paper aims to summarize existing research in this area, and propose options to help guide future policy and investigations by the OPC. Why surveillance? Affordable, available, and easy to use Rapid advances in technology, particularly in the last decade, have allowed individuals ready access to surveillance tools that were once only available to governments and law enforcement. Surveillance equipment is cheaper, smaller, and more sophisticated than ever before. Also important is that surveillance is a feature of everyday life, and thus has become normalized. Video cameras and GPS are standard features on smart phones. Personal computers together with wi-fi and the Internet allow individuals to watch over their property and loved ones remotely. Stores sell all manner of easily 6 http://www.amberalertgps.ca/ Accessed on Dec. 13, 2011 7“In the debate over RFID tracking, children are the testing ground” Singularity Hub, Sept. 15, 2010. Retrieved on Dec. 13, 2011 from http://singularityhub.com/2010/09/15/in-the-debate-over-rfid-tracking-children-are-the-testing-ground/ 8 “Pinellas students to use palm scanners in lunch line” WTSP.com, Aug 1, 2011. Retrieved on Dec 15, 2011 from http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/203934/8/Pinellas-students-to-use-palm-scanners-in-lunch-line 9 “Another UK school replaces library card with fingerprinting software” School Library Journal, June 14, 2010. Retrieved on Dec 13, 2011 from http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/home/885330- 312/another_uk_school_replaces_library.html.csp 10“Water