An alarming Four Corners investigation has exposed just how far social media platforms like TikTok will go to take advantage of children and young people. As TikTok user Lauren says “the algorithm is seeing vulnerable people and then playing on that vulnerability”. And it’s not just TikTok. The makers of thousands of devices, games and services that children interact with can all harvest and exploit children’s data with impunity because Australia’s Privacy laws haven’t been updated in decades. Tech corporations will only ever see children as one thing: future customers they can profit off. So we have to make sure the privacy of children is protected by the law. Add your name: we need a Children’s Data Code. By the time a child blows out the candles on their thirteenth birthday, tech corporations will have mined over 72 million data points about them. And not just from social media platforms: biometric data can now be collected every time a child plays with a smart toy or speaks to a smart home device. Meanwhile, our privacy laws were written when sending a fax was still the quickest way to keep in touch. But that’s about to change. Right now, the Attorney General is reviewing The Privacy Act 1988, which means we have the first opportunity in decades to bring our privacy laws into the 21st century. Together with online privacy experts at Reset Australia we’re calling for a Children’s Data Code to be implemented that: - Creates the best and safest digital world for young people - Is overseen by a strong and empowered regulator - Creates gold standard comprehensive online protections

But you can be sure that the tech giants will fight any attempt to reign in their unfettered access to children’s data. Which is why we need to show the Attorney-General that there is a powerful movement demanding protection for children in our privacy laws. Sign the petition now telling the Federal Government to implement a Children’s Data Code! The Privacy Act currently has no provisions to protect children. It’s just not good enough, and young people know it too -- 80% of people under the age of 18 want more rules in place to keep their data safe from tech corporations. After groundswells of public support for the protection of children, governments in the UK and Ireland finally updated their laws to give young people the best protections online. It’s time we make sure Australian laws catch up too.