Note: The views and ideas shared in this article come directly from the inspiring young leaders who contributed to the campaign as part of the Responsible Data for Children (RD4C) initiative. These voices reflect the unique perspectives of youth from diverse backgrounds and regions. While RD4C provided light editorial support to enhance readability, the content remains entirely theirs—authored by young people for young people. Their insights are independent and do not necessarily represent official positions or endorsements by UNICEF or The GovLab.

For youth to have agency in building our future, we need to be consulted with in the present. It has been widely established that technology evolves rapidly and data is crucial to our society. Whether you sign up to a social media platform, or are simply browsing online, your data is collected and exploited and very often to your detriment. Adult users may be fine with this automatic data grab, but more attention should be paid to data collection and processing for minors, including our perspectives and views on how our data is handled and on how policies are crafted.

Indeed, it is concerning how often the voices of young people—the very demographic most impacted by these changes—are ignored in the conversations that determine our future. Despite the fact that data policies today will determine the future of privacy, safety, and access in the digital age, young people are frequently excluded from the policy-making process. 

In my opinion, there are three main barriers that prevent young people from contributing their perspectives and views about the digital world and specifically data policies: (1) the reluctance of tech companies to listen to criticism and make effective change that weakens their bottom lines; (2) the fact that technological advancements are outpacing legislative guidelines; (3) the frantic push by headline-searching politicians for drastic measures such as phone or social media bans, without any youth consultation whatsoever. Children and young people must be earnestly consulted regarding online data policies that affect us in unprecedented ways.

I would like to place emphasis on the phrase ‘earnest consultation’ because many companies promote initiatives like youth boards or advisory panels, however, many of those youth initiatives serve more as PR stunts than platforms for real influence. The recommendations made by young people are rarely integrated and reflected in actual policy or product changes. 

This tokenism is not only disheartening but it is also a missed opportunity to harness the insights of those who are most familiar and most affected by the digital world. Young people are not just passive consumers of technology; we are savvy, creative, and deeply aware of the impacts of digital policy on our lives. To truly involve youth, tech companies must move beyond superficial engagements and focus groups, beyond one-page campaigns and photo shoots, beyond lip service and disingenuous surveys, tech companies must provide youth with formal authority and decision-making power within the organizations. 

This engagement could take the form of elected youth representatives who are not just consulted but given the ability to shape policy, product design, and ethical guidelines, similarly to Members of Youth Parliament, for instance. And again, these are just my suggestions as a European teen. Teens from North & South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and beyond may have even more impactful suggestions. Teens that are neurodiverse, face physical challenges, or are otherwise ‘different’ may have their own suggestions as well, but we will not know if those diverse youth are not consulted.

Laws that govern digital spaces, such as the Online Safety Act (OSA) or the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), are often outdated almost as soon as they are enacted, and, ironically, then take even longer to update. Such legislation is problematic when it comes to the rights of children and young people online, which, some argue, politicians use as leverage to attempt to censor content they disagree with. While such legislation is indicative of progress, it is insufficient on its own. Technology will continue to evolve, and legislation must always be adaptive and inclusive of youth perspectives. 

Young people should be involved in the legislative process not just as consultees in a hastily organized focus group but as co-creators of these laws. We can ensure that laws remain relevant and responsive to the needs and realities of young people. All young people. Young people who have had their information leaked in instances of “doxxing.” Young people who have had their intimate images leaked. Young people who have had their information leaked in a data breach. Young people who are underrepresented and do not have a voice. 

The tendency of politicians to push for outright bans on emerging technologies without consulting those who will be most affected is yet another barrier to meaningful youth participation. It is easy for politicians to call for bans—on social media platforms, on certain types of content, on new technologies like AI—without even considering the implications. However, these decisions are rarely informed by the perspectives of young people, and can often make matters worse. We’ve seen cases of children and young people committing suicide after the taking of their phone because of a loss trigger. In one case, a young woman wrote a suicide note that read “You shouldn’t have taken my phone away.” In such instances, bans are not the most proactive solution. Instead of opting for polarizing measures, policymakers should first consult with the youth to understand their experiences and needs. 

Let’s take for instance, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires age verification to ensure that children under 13 are not subjected to data collection or harmful content. This act may be helpful in combating some data collection, and protecting younger users but it doesn’t explicitly attack the root cause of the issue: extensive data collection. Young people lie about their age online to get access to a service, and such legislation may no longer serve them because they are now considered an adult by the service collecting their data. Regardless of whether the user was an adult or a child, extensive data collection is unacceptable, especially when it is used for profit (the only driver of most tech companies), or to produce (or attempt to produce) certain outcomes, such as during the infamous Facebook–Cambridge Analytica Scandal. 

Data is our most precious asset when we are online, but often, we are powerless, victims to the companies and advertisers scraping our data and selling it to the highest bidder. Young people need to actively participate in shaping the data policies that will govern our futures. We must recognize young people as equal partners in the policy-making process. Children and young people must not only have a seat at the table but they must also be empowered and earnestly consulted when it comes to policies that shape our digital lives. Calling us to the table, when the meal has been decided, served and sometimes even cleared away, does a disservice to all those at the table.

(Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen / Unsplash is licensed under CC0)

About the Author

Maximilian Milovidov is a teen online safety advocate. He is an Ambassador to the Children’s Commissioner for England, a former Youth Board Member for Childnet and Youth Ambassador for the Diana Award. Fluent in French, English, Russian, and Spanish, he serves as a Youth Ambassador for the 5Rights Foundation, People vs Big Tech and as a Youth Advisor for Digitalem. Maximilian has been featured on ITV News, Sky News, and the Wall Street Journal. His interests lie in cyberpsychology, human nature, and technology.

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