Sharenting and children's data protection: legal aspects of an interdisciplinary phenomenon

Abstract

The pervasiveness of digital technology in the social context calls on legal experts – and not only them – to reflect on how to protect children’s rights online. Minors are particularly exposed, as they are considered vulnerable individuals, to online risks. Therefore, it is essential to carefully and methodically examine the primary legal, ethical, and social implications arising from the presence of minors in the digital environment. These include the protection of minors’ privacy, age verification during access to and use of online applications, the direct responsibility of parents or guardians, and, at last, the economic and commercial exploitation of so-called “baby influencers.” At the heart of this multidisciplinary reflection lies the importance of achieving a regulatory framework that enhances the value of educational tools while balancing the rights and freedoms at stake, including freedom of expression, the protection of privacy, and the freedom of private economic initiative underpinning technological development.