We all share data online, but do we all understand how to ensure that the data that we share is safe and how we can protect our privacy online. The UK’s data protection regulator is helping children and young people understand the power of their personal data as they learn, play and socialise online. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a suite of lesson plans and worksheets aimed at teaching primary and secondary school pupils how to protect their privacy online and how they can control what online companies and platforms know about them.

The resources explain what counts as personal data, how to protect it and how to keep it private on social media. They cover the curriculum in all parts of the UK and can be downloaded for free from the ICO website.

They form part of the ICO’s work on building awareness of the Children’s code, a set of standards that online services must follow if they are likely to be accessed by children. That includes putting in place extra layers of protection for children’s data.

The resources are also available within Purple Mash and would be great to use around Safer Internet Day and throughout the year with pupils. Alongside the ICO resources we have created some extra resources for staff to use. Children can use this template to share and write down ideas of what they think personal information is and how it is used, a concept map that children can use to think about how companies use their personal information, a digital footprint writing template and a debate about the age of consent for using social media as well as quizzes relating to the ICO content.

The ICO will be producing more resources around the principles of the Children’s code to ensure that young people know what to expect when they open an app, visit a website or play an online game. These resources will be available soon.