New survey shows parents are highly concerned about their ability to protect childrens' personal data, want Congress to prioritize adopting additional privacy protections

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trusted Future today released the results of a survey of nearly 1,000 parents of school-age children in the United States to better understand their views of the challenges and opportunities they face as it relates to children's privacy and safety online. The survey was designed to learn from parents about what key steps they believe would help foster greater trust in the technologies they use every day, and expand opportunities for their children tomorrow.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Parents view tech as vital and important to their children's future: 92% of parents believe being connected to the internet is important for their family.
• Parents recognize the importance of protecting their children's personal data, including their identity (90%), location (88%), health data (87%), age (85%), school records (85%), and browsing history (84%).
• A large majority of parents (86%) believe it is important to talk with their kids about digital safety and privacy. And they're actually doing it, with 79% of parents of teenagers telling us they have, and 69% of parents whose kids are 11 and under.
• A majority (75%) of parents believe having a "'tech talk" is as important for teens as having the "sex talk," rising to 79% for parents of teenagers. 
• An overwhelming majority of parents (91%) want apps reviewed by experts for security and privacy prior to being made available to consumers.
• Parents' top priority for Congress is privacy, with 63% wanting Congress to adopt additional privacy protections whether for children specifically or the country as a whole, as compared to, for example, only 3% whose top priority is antitrust legislation.

"Parents view internet technologies as vital for their family's future, but also are very concerned about creating a safe environment for their children to take advantage of the benefits these technologies provide. We found that parents want to take an active role in their kid's digital lives, but that does not mean that they should have to be a Chief Information Security Officer and everyone has a role to play to protect kids' digital experiences. Parents are looking to tech innovators to provide the tools they need to keep their families' personal data private and want policymakers to prioritize additional privacy protections above any other technology policy legislation."

In addition to better privacy protections, the survey also showed a strong level of parental support for Congressional action on addressing cyberthreats like malware, federal and state funding for coding education for children at public schools, universal access to high speed broadband and connected learning tools, and increased investment in emerging technological innovation so that children can reap the benefits of the good-paying jobs in high-tech industries of the future.

The full survey is available to download here.

Trusted Future is a non-profit organization dedicated to the belief that we need smarter, better-informed efforts to enhance trust in today's digital ecosystem in order to expand opportunities for tomorrow. We believe we deserve a vibrant digital ecosystem that is trusted, responsible, inclusive, and safe -- one where you can trust that your privacy will be protected, your data will be secured, your safety can be protected, that leads to a more just, equitable and inclusive society, and that fosters previously unthinkable opportunities to improve your life. We bring together experts, advance new research, highlight common sense best practices, policies and recommendations, and explore new ways to foster and enhance the basic trust we need to support and sustain a healthier digital ecosystem. For more information, visit www.trustedfuture.org and follow us on Twitter @atrustedfuture.

Media Contact:
Alison Moore
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SOURCE Trusted Future