In their own words: Students from Westboro Academy speak out about privacy | Des élèves de l’Académie Westboro parlent de protection de la vie privée

Commissioner Kosseim speaks with Elyane Ruel, Head of School, and Grade 7 and 8 students from Westboro Academy in Ottawa, Ontario.

• Do kids even care about privacy anymore? [2:01]
• What does privacy mean, how would you define it? [3:43]
• Sharing information with some, but not with others [5:56]
• Strategies for protecting yourself online [8:22]
• Respecting the privacy of others [12:11]
• Regrets about posting something online that can’t be taken down later [14:01]
• Concerns young people have about being online [14:44]
• Teaching kids about privacy at school [21:16]
• Technology use in the classroom, protecting student privacy [26:59]
• Strategies for teaching students about digital citizenship [29:08]
• Using the IPC’s Privacy Pursuit! lesson plans in the classroom [31:10]
• How the lesson plans can be a springboard for other classroom activities [32:30]
• The IPC’s draft Digital Privacy Charter for Ontario Schools [33:10]
• Developing kid-friendly resources to teach kids about privacy [34:39]
• It’s about more than technology — the importance of social and emotional learning to help kids develop their independence in the digital world [36:54]

Resources:

• Privacy Pursuit! lesson plans (free IPC lesson plans to teach kids about privacy)
• Digital Privacy Charter for Ontario Schools
• Teaching kids about privacy (Info Matters episode with Daniel Solove)
• Teenage confidential: Teens, technology, and privacy (Info Matters episode with Matthew Johnson)
• From high school to university: a young person’s perspective on digital privacy (Info Matters episode with Keith Baybayon)
• Ontario joins Canadian privacy regulators in passing resolutions on the privacy of young people and workers (October 2023, IPC news release)
• Resolution on children’s digital rights (Adopted resolution of the Global Privacy Assembly, October 2021 – IPC co-sponsor)
• Personal Data Protection Competency Framework for School Students (includes foundational learning principles – International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners – IPC co-sponsor)
• The IPC’s Youth Advisory Council
• IPC Strategic Priorities 2021-2025
• Children and Youth in a Digital World(IPC resources)

Info Matters is a podcast about people, privacy, and access to information hosted by Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. We dive into conversations with people from all walks of life and hear stories about the access and privacy issues that matter most to them.

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The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the IPC does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this podcast, and information from this podcast should not be used or reproduced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. None of the information, opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast bind the IPC’s Tribunal that may be called upon to independently investigate and decide upon an individual complaint or appeal based on the specific facts and unique circumstances of a given case.