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P.ublished 7th April 2026
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One Click Too Many? 75% Of Parents Fear Their Kids Aren't Making Safe Choices Online
Every day, primary school kids tap 'accept' on apps, games and websites - usually without realising how much personal information they may be sharing as a result.
A single click can reveal far more than a name. It can unveil friendships, interests, moods and even sleep patterns, creating a digital footprint that can last forever - or even be exploited by people with bad intentions.
No wonder 71% of parents worry the information their child shares today could affect their future.
The stark findings come as the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator, launches its Switched on to privacy campaign today to help parents of kids aged four to 11 start simple conversations about protecting their personal information online.
Backed by stakeholders including Mumsnet, the NSPCC and Internet Matters, the campaign urges parents to treat online privacy as an essential life skill - as natural as teaching a child to cross the road.
24% have shared their real name or address online, with eight and nine-year-olds most at risk.
22% have shared personal information such as health details with AI tools.
35% of parents believe their child would share personal information in exchange for game tokens or rewards.
46% don't feel confident protecting their children's privacy online.
44% say they try but aren't sure they're doing enough.
42% say they probably don't spend enough time checking their child's privacy settings.
ICO research shows online privacy is one of the least discussed online safety topics: 21% of parents have never spoken to their children about it, and 38% discuss it less than once a month. By contrast, 90% of parents have discussed screen time in the past month.
The internet offers amazing opportunities for children - but every click can leave a hidden data trail and these digital footprints can last forever.
We wouldn't expect our children to share their birthdays or address with a stranger in a shop, because we'd explain stranger danger to them from a very young age, but kids these days are growing up online.
We know that where children's details - like their name, interests and pictures - aren't protected, the potential risks are serious: unwanted contact from strangers, grooming and radicalisation.
Children’s online privacy requires a whole society approach. We have taken and will continue to take action to hold tech companies accountable for their role.
There's a role for parents too but the problem is that many families have never been shown how to talk to their children about online privacy.
This is where the ICO comes in. We want parents to feel empowered and children to feel digitally confident, because only then will they be able to start to trust in how their data is used and be part of the whole society solution that is needed for online safety.
Most parents (88%) think children should start learning about online privacy between ages four and 11 years.
Chat regularly with your child about online privacy;
Choose carefully what personal information to share;
Check privacy settings on new devices and apps.
The online world offers children the opportunity to learn, play, and connect with friends – but over the last five years as Children’s Commissioner I have heard from tens of thousands of children about the negative aspects of a childhood online, including how to protect their privacy and stay safe.
We all have a role to play in protecting children from these dangers, many of which we as adults are also still learning to navigate. Too often we are playing catch up, this is why it is important that parents feel confident having early, everyday conversations with children about the risks of being online and how to respond if something makes them uncomfortable. But we cannot let tech companies off the hook. They must be held accountable for putting profits before protections and must be required to design services that prioritise children’s safety and privacy by design, rather than treating children’s safety as an optional tick box exercise, after harm has already occurred.
“Online privacy is a vital part of keeping children safe in a digital world, and so is empowering parents and carers with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to support their families.
“Open conversations build trust and give children the confidence and tools needed to navigate digital spaces safely. Alongside regular check-ins we also encourage parents to review their child’s privacy settings and make use of parental controls across the devices, apps and platforms their children use.”
“This campaign is devised to spark family conversations about what we share online and the choices we have.
“Parents don’t just need settings or safety modes. They need regular conversations - that’s why talking about online privacy with your kids is so important.”