EAGLE SCOUT | ISSUE NO. 23-11

NEWS | State bill sparks debates over minors’ online access

9 June 2023

UNITED STATES – Louisiana lawmakers passed a new bill (HB61) that prohibits individuals under 18 from signing up for their own accounts on “interactive computer services” without parental consent. The bill would prevent minors from opening an email account and potentially affect popular platforms like Instagram, as well as online games like Roblox and Fortnite.  READ MORE

FEATURE | If children’s Privacy Bills are going to make surveillance worse maybe we should just ban smartphones altogether

9 June 2023

The negative impact of social media on the youth’s mental health is unlike anything prior generations have experienced. This has led to a wave of policy proposals attempting to resolve this problem. Unfortunately, most of the laws being proposed—even with the best intentions—have only served to increase surveillance and are making it a legal requirement to profile children. READ MORE

NEWS | Court rules out DNA test, noting it invades the right to privacy of a child

6 June 2023

INDIA – The Rajasthan High Court has emphasized the relevance of a child’s right to privacy by declaring that DNA paternity tests on children can only be done in the rarest of cases. Its ruling means to keep the best interest of a child in mind, since tests, it said, invade rights, including “privacy, property, and the right to have confidence and happiness about being loved by both parents”. READ MORE

NEWS | Data likely stolen in University of Manchester cyberattack

9 June 2023

UNITED KINGDOM – The University of Manchester recently announced to the public that it had discovered a breach on June 6 and had immediately initiated an investigation. It confirms that some of its systems have been accessed by an unauthorized party who is likely to have copied data from there, as well. READ MORE

NEWS | Microsoft to pay $20M over Xbox child privacy violations

5 June 2023

UNITED STATES - Microsoft agrees to pay $20 million to U.S. regulators for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The company had retained data from children who set up an Xbox account prior to obtaining permission from their parents. It has agreed to enhance privacy protections for children moving forward. READ MORE