The webinar will allow the ICO and delegates to have an open conversation about the challenges of approaches to aid awareness.
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Synopsis
Children and parents may start to notice changes to how children access or use certain websites, apps, games or online products. This is because, as of 2 September 2021, online services need to start following a set of standards when using children’s data. These standards are known as the Children’s Code.
Websites and products affected by the code need to provide additional layers of protection for children’s data. This might involve restricting or removing certain features and options to children if they’re under 18.
These changes should result in a more positive experience for children online. For example, not having location tracking on may reduce unwanted friend recommendations from people that children don’t know. It should also mean that people children aren’t friends with shouldn’t be able to see their profile.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Children’s Code, Age Appropriate Design Code (the Code), sets out 15 standards organisations must meet to ensure that children’s data is protected online. The Code will apply to online services likely to be accessed by children in the UK. It seeks to keep children safe within the online world rather than excluding them from it.
The ICO has focused its attention over the 12 month transition period for the Code helping designers and developers to better understand the Code and to translate it into practical changes when they are designing or developing online services and products. From 2 September, with the ending of the transition period, the Code will move into a supervision setting.
This Code will lead to changes that will help empower both adults and children. To help children and parents better understand the Code and how it can help protect their digital rights, the ICO is developing new resources designed to raise awareness of the Code. The webinar allows us the opportunity to update colleagues on how the ICO plans to help children and parents understand children’s digital rights, and support them to exercise those rights when they find that websites and products are not conforming with the Code. The webinar will allow the ICO and delegates to have an open conversation about the challenges of reaching children and parents and approaches that we will take to aid awareness-raising.
Please get in touch via childrenscode@ico.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you.
About the speaker
Michael Murray, Head of Domestic Regulatory Strategy, Information Commissioner’s Office
Michael Murray is Head of Domestic Regulatory Strategy working within the Regulatory Futures Directorate. He leads the development of the ICO Children’s Code (formerly known as the Age Appropriate Design Code), focusing on engagement with Internet Society Services, regulators and civil society organisations in the UK and internationally, and the development of guidance to deliver the Children’s Code ambitious transition plan commitments.
Michael began his career with the Department of Revenue Collections in Canada as a Case Work Officer in 1993 before deciding that the world held too many places of interest to be stuck behind a desk in this 20s. He taught English as a Second Language at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics for 3 years before moving to Japan to teach English in Tokyo. Michael moved to the UK in 2002, working initially as a Grants Officer for the Big Lottery Fund.
Michael held a Senior Management role at AdviceUK from 2005-2009 as their London Regional Manage. AdviceUk is the UK’s largest network of independent advice giving charities. During his time at AdviceUK Michael lead the development of the business case and project initiation for the AdvicePro casework management system, which currently assists more than 7,000 users in over 500 agencies throughout the UK, including local authorities, charities, and student unions.
After leaving AdviceUK, Michael was the London Development Manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund for 6.5 years, supporting the development of large capital projects at the Uk’s major museums, parks and historic sites.
Prior to joining the ICO, Michael was Deputy Chief Executive at National Churches Trust for 4.5 years, leading the charities operations, including their grants programmes. Michael also led the develop new web-based services supporting churches to engage in tourism and contract maintenance support. The ExploreChurches website features information on over 4,000 of the UK’s most historic places of worship, allowing tourists to learn about and plan visits to these buildings. Michael led the development of ExploreChurches, including enhancements that enable tourists to book tickets for church related experiences. He also developed the Trust’s MaintenanceBooker service to connect churches with high quality and accredited maintenance and repair contractors.
Michael has an MA in International Relations from the University of Toronto and an MSc in Sustainable Heritage from UCL.
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