Children’s Right To Privacy

Section 37 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and section 8 of the Childs Rights Act provides for Childrens Right to Privacy. Who is a child? In international law, a child is a person under the age of 18. But according to Abraham Lincoln;
“A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started. He is going to sit where you’re sitting, and when you’re gone, attend to those things which are important. You may adopt all the policies you please, but how they are carried out depends on him. He will assume control of your cities, states and nation. He is going to move in and take over your churches, schools, universities and corporations. The fate of humanity is in his hands”.
Children’s right to privacy is multifaceted. In general children’s privacy is more likely to be respected in a digital environment where;
-Children’s can privately and securely access information.
– Children communication and personal data are sufficiently protected from unauthorized or intrusion. Going online can put children’s right to privacy at risk of intrusion, although the internet gives children instantaneous access to huge quantities of beneficial content, and offers a uniquely participatory pathways to empowerment. It is worthy to note that well intended measures to prevent children from being exposed to potentially harmful messages or materials, such a s parental controls may in some circumstances end up hindering children’s development into skilled, confident and responsible digital citizens. As true as this maybe, am still an advocate of parental control, because on a scale of balance, harmful material weigh equally with the educative ones.
How then can the children’s right be preserved and protected? In my opinion, reasonable regulations must be put in place. The use of interment and social media is a global thing, so we can align with the International Telecommunication Union child online protection initiative, that takes a holistic approach to promoting child online safety by developing a strategy that covers five key areas, to wit:
1. Legal measures
2. Technical and procedural measures
3. Organisational structures
4. Capacity building
5. International corporation
Children’s privacy and freedom of expression should be protected and respected in accordance with their evolving capacities. Rather than trying to keep children off the interment, which lets face it, isn’t going to be easy. we should focus on educating the children on media literacy. Schools and parents must work together to teach children how to protect their privacy online.