Online webinar now available on championing privacy and access rights of children and youth

Fri, Jan 28, 2022

To mark Data Privacy Day 2022, webcast focused on empowering a new generation of digital citizens

As part of Data Privacy Day activities on Friday January 28th, Yukon Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod-McKay and her staff attended a webinar hosted by the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Ontario (Ontario IPC), Patricia Kosseim.

The two-hour webcast dealt with the theme of Children and Youth in a Digital World: Empowering a New Generation of Digital Citizens. It is now available online for others to view, including leaders, educators and members of the public.

“Given the risks to privacy while youth engage in online activities, it is important that our government and education leaders in the Yukon are aware of and knowledgeable about these risks and then use their knowledge to empower youth to make informed decisions about what they do online,” said McLeod-McKay. “This webinar highlights ways to accomplish that objective. I’d like to thank my Ontario colleagues for putting together this informative webinar and I am pleased to share it with Yukoners.”

Panelists who presented information during the webinar include:

• Jane Bailey, Professor of Law, University of Ottawa and Co-Lead of The eQuality Project
• Keith Baybayon, President, Ontario Student Trustees’ Association
• Anthony Carabache, Provincial Coordinator Additional Qualifications Courses, Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association
• Yael Ginsler, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, Student Achievement Division
• Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts
• Dave Meslin, activist and bestselling author of Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up
• Jacob Ohrvik-Stott, Acting Head of Regulatory Futures, U.K. Information Commissioner's Office

The discussion focused on how to best champion the privacy and access rights of children and youth by promoting their digital literacy and digital rights, while holding institutions accountable for protecting the children and youth they serve.

Key issues included in the discussions were:

• integrating privacy education as part of the official school curriculum on digital literacy;
• empowering children and youth to think critically about the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information and assert their privacy rights; and
• the role of regulation in protecting children and youth in the online world.

The webinar is available for the public to view here.