Jon Baines, Data Protection Advisor in the Intellectual Property Group, featured on BBC Radio Scotland on the approaching GDPR regulations in relation to children's future social media use. The programme discussed how regulations will particularly affect teenagers, as this week popular messaging service Whatsapp announced a ban on under 16s from using its platform within the European Union. The app, owned by Facebook, will ask users to confirm their age going forward, but have not yet commented on how they will police current users.
Jon commented: "GDPR law applies from 25 May across the EU. Access to 'information society services' will mean users under the age of 16 can't access the platform without parental consent. A lot of companies are reviewing policies and considering how they can alter policies to comply."
"The issue of verifying someone's age is a difficult one, particularly in an online space."
Listen to the full radio feature here. Jon features at 1:46:00.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.