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Irish regulator is looking into Instagram’s handling of children’s data
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission is investigating how Facebook Inc.-owned Instagram handles the data of children, it was first reported by The Telegraph Monday.
The probe comes a year after David Stier, a U.S. data scientist, published a report that suggested Instagram was not protecting the contact information of millions of minors. He said 2 million 12- to 15-year-old Instagram users had signed up for a business account, thereby exposing their contact details to the public.
All minors needed to do was set up a business account on the app, with the reason being that then they could study the metrics to see how well their posts were doing. Instagram has countered by saying it has always been clear about that information being made public, adding that the company now allows people to opt out of showing their contact details.
Despite this, the DPC still has concerns. The regulator said in a statement that it has been “actively monitoring complaints” over the processing of the said data, which warrants further investigation into the matter.
The regulator’s probe is twofold. It will investigate the legal basis that Facebook claims it has to process children’s data and also look at the safeguards the company has in place to protect children. Such safeguards must adhere to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation.
“In today’s digital world in which vast numbers of children are prevalently active on social media, it is vital that data controllers are compliant with their obligations under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 in relation to their processing of children’s personal data on their platforms,” the DPC said. “Instagram is a social media platform which is used widely by children in Ireland and across Europe.”
Facebook’s response was that there is a difference between “exposing” someone’s data and making it clear that some contact details will be made public. The company said it’s now cooperating with the DPC’s inquiries. If Facebook is found to be at fault, the consequences could be profound given that a fine could be as much as 4% of yearly global revenue.
Photo: Nodstrum/Flickr
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