{"id":26593,"date":"2023-02-14T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigan.it.umich.edu\/news\/?p=26593"},"modified":"2024-07-08T06:04:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T10:04:19","slug":"child-safety-in-the-smart-home-a-privacymichigan-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigan.it.umich.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/14\/child-safety-in-the-smart-home-a-privacymichigan-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Child Safety in the Smart Home: A Privacy@Michigan Event"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cWe are all now datafied \u2013 but children growing up today are among the first to be datafied from birth.\u201d This statement from the Children\u2019s Commissioner for England\u2019s 2018 report<\/a> is the backdrop for UMSI Ph.D. candidate Kaiwen Sun<\/a>\u2019s research into child safety in the smart home. She showcased her most recent work, focused on the intersection of children\u2019s privacy and safety, smart home technologies, and human-computer interaction, in a thought-provoking presentation<\/a> as part of the 2023 Privacy@Michigan event series<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Sun walked the audience through a sample of the Internet-connected tech in the homes of families with kids, she highlighted the physical, psychological, and social impacts on children. \u201cA smart home is a home first,\u201d Sun posited and shared parents\u2019 evolving safety and privacy considerations as their children grow up around smart devices and appliances. Today, parents are the sole gatekeepers for children\u2019s safety and privacy and Sun believes the responsibility should be shared by smart-home companies. Her research shows that these companies\u2019 marketing strategies capitalize on images featuring kids interacting with or being near smart tech in the home, but most claim their products are not directed to children under 13 and they do not knowingly collect children\u2019s data. Very few companies provide parental controls and child safety features and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laws and regulations requiring companies to address children\u2019s safety and privacy in Internet-connected products are just starting to emerge<\/a>, so the UMSI researcher recommends that parents continue to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n