"More Engagement in Tech Design Can Improve Children's Online Privacy, Security"
New Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research suggests that designing technologies for children's online privacy and security, as well as focusing on children's interests in these efforts, is complex and challenging. According to Priya Kumar, assistant professor in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and leader of the multi-institution research team, involving children early and frequently in the development of online privacy and security features could result in technologies that better protect them while also addressing their interests. The team analyzed 90 HCI research publications from 2009 to 2019 in order to explore not only the problems and solutions associated with designing online technologies for children's privacy and security, but also how the research involved children. Kumar noted that they wanted to know what it means to design for children's privacy and security and what role, if any, children played in this work. The team discovered that by defining online privacy and security objectives more specifically and engaging children earlier in the design process, technology designers could avoid conflicts between what children want and what they need to be secure. This article continues to discuss the study of what it means to design for children's privacy and security and how children play a role in such work.