New project to promote data protection of children and young people in their leisure activities
The new GDPR4CHLDRN project by the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman and TIEKE Finnish Information Society Development Centre provides information on the processing of personal data to associations that organise leisure activities for children, as well as to the children and young people themselves and their parents. Among other things, the project will create tools for supporting the application of data protection legislation by children's and youth clubs as well as improving the data protection awareness of children and young people and their parents.
The two-year project will include the development of a toolkit for making data protection legislation easier to understand together with the associations. The purpose is to help associations by drawing up clear, practical instructions on protecting children's personal data. Improving awareness of data protection, especially among children and young people, is another objective of the project.
”Every child has the right to data protection. We want to support leisure activity organisers and parents in ensuring the data protection and data security of children”, says Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa. ”We aim to make children and young people more aware of their own rights and the importance of data protection.”
Associations involved in the development of data protection skills
”Associations that organise leisure activities reach a broad base of children and young people and process their data during practice and other events. We are glad that so many stakeholders and associations have already committed to our joint project”, says Executive Director Hanna Niemi-Hugaerts of TIEKE Finnish Information Society Development Centre.
The tools, pictures clarifying data protection concepts, competence badges and instructions created by the project will be developed and piloted in cooperation with the associations. The project's toolkit will be published in Finnish, Swedish and English. Key materials will additionally be translated into Russian, Estonian, Somali and Arabic. The purpose of the webinars and training is to increase the data protection awareness of associations across Finland.
"We believe that the materials produced by the project will provide tremendous concrete assistance and support to our member clubs. Furthermore, we are confident that the project will improve our member clubs' awareness and competence of data protection issues relevant to their activities”, says Head of Member Services Taneli Sopanen of the Football Association of Finland.
The project's key stakeholders are the Football Association of Finland, Finnish Olympic Committee and the Guides and Scouts of Finland.
”Safe club activities are the heart of sports and exercise, and data protection is an important component of safety. I am thrilled that we have been invited to learn together and improve the safety of children's activities” says Rainer Anttila, Manager of Club Relations at the Finnish Olympic Committee.
”The children and young people of today live in a largely digital environment. We scouts feel that the children of 2040 should have the same practical skills as those of today”, says Maija Kangasniemi, IT & Service Manager of the Guides and Scouts of Finland.
Influence the content of upcoming data protection training and tools by taking the initial survey
The GDPR4CHLDRN project's initial survey charts the data protection competence and needs of children and young people, their custodians and the associations. The survey is open until 11 December. Its results will be used in planning the project's events and materials.
Initial survey in the Webropol service: GDPR4CHLDRN – Initial Survey
Subscribe in advance to the newsletter
The first GDPR4CHLDRN project newsletter will be published in January. These roughly bi-monthly newsletters will provide information on upcoming training events and contain expert articles on children's data protection and the processing of personal data in the context of leisure activities, among other things.
Subscribe to the project newsletter in the Webropol service (in Finnish): Advance subscription for the GDPR4CHLDRN newsletter
Project website (in Finnish): GDPR4CHLDRN – Getting data protection right in leisure activities (tieke.fi)
What is GDPR4CHLDRN?
GDPR is short for General Data Protection Regulation. It is a data protection law that entered into force in all EU Member States in the spring of 2018. The GDPR states that the personal data of children requires special protection.
The full name of the project is GDPR4CHLDRN: Sports associations and hobby clubs as gatekeepers providing practical tools to ensure children’s data protection.
The project is coordinated by the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman with TIEKE Finnish Information Society Development Centre as the project partner. The two-year project will conclude in August 2024.
The project is funded by the EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme.
Further information:
- Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman: Legal Specialist Nora Musto, nora.musto(at)om.fi, tel. +358 29 566 6716
- TIEKE Finnish Information Society Development Centre: Accelerator of Digital Skills Mikko Eloholma, mikko.eloholma(at)tieke.fi, tel. +358 44 491 8296
Funded by the European Union. The contents of this publication only reflect the views of its authors who take sole responsibility for them. The European Union or European Commission take no responsibility for the contents of this publication.
