Questions on Children’s Data Privacy in Nigeria for Digital Child Series

“A child is not a data point. A child is not a metric. A child shouldn’t be profiled.” Last Thursday at the 7th Privacy Symposium Africa 2025, I shared the stage with data privacy professionals Alex Onyia Confidence Osein Mercy Matthew Edith Utete Afolabi Khadijah Ifeoma Peters, speaking on protecting children’s privacy rights as they explored online learning platforms. We discussed the intersection of data privacy and children’s rights. My stance was simple: Parents, schools, and EdTech companies must move from being passive users to active Guardians. a. Turning privacy policies into fun, bite-sized checklists (the legal stuff should be left for lawyers) b. Teaching kids about the importance of data privacy – the what's to share and what-not-to's. It was intense, insightful, and exactly the kind of conversation we need to be having in this industry. But after the applause, the real work began. During the networking session (shoutout to Tife Ekundayo (CIPP/E, LL.M) , we reached the core – collection and retention of data, addressing the need for data minimisation. We concluded that most "Privacy Policies" were unreadable, dull legal sentences that failed at the one thing they were meant to do – educate the data subjects. Conversations with parents over the week made me realise that: 1. Most don't know what data is being collected on their kids. 2. Most don’t understand the concept and power of consent. 3. Most are unaware of the permanent footprint left by "Sharenting." I attended to share my opinions but left with a fresh perspective, a notebook full of ideas and a new network of privacy advocates. Exploring one of the ideas has led me to officially launch a new content series: The Digital Child. 🧒🏾📱 This isn't just for lawyers and data privacy enthusiasts, but also: For Parents: I will break down how to protect your child’s digital identity without banning technology. For EdTech & Startups: I will explain core child rights concepts that enable you to build "Safety by Design" in line with data protection laws, so you gain trust. Watch the full panel session here: https://lnkd.in/dJhFDiPH 👇 CTA: I am looking to feature questions from real parents, founders, and anyone newly navigating the data privacy space in Nigeria in this series. What is the one thing that confuses you most about children's data privacy? Drop it in the comments, and I’ll answer it in the first edition, which will be released next Tuesday. Special thanks to Sempala Allan Kigozi and the organisers for a wonderful time. Privacy is a duty of care. One we owe to the kids who will design our future. #DataPrivacy #PSA2025 #Childrights #PrivacySymposiumAfrica2025 P.S. I stole the first sentence from my fellow panelist Confidence Osein 🙈