General comment No. 25 (2021) on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment, CRC Committee
Child Identity Protection (CHIP) remains admirable of the impressive efforts of the CRC Committee to uphold children’s rights in an ever changing global context, notably the digital environment. New technologies can promote the child’s right to identity by facilitating birth registration and improving access to information. Equally, digital environments may pose certain risks related to the child’s right to privacy and his or her identity. The Committee notes that “data may include information about, inter alia, children’s identities, activities, location, communication, emotions, health and relationships. Certain combinations of personal data, including biometric data, can uniquely identify a child. Digital practices, such as automated data processing, profiling, behavioural targeting, mandatory identity verification, information filtering and mass surveillance are becoming routine. Such practices may lead to arbitrary or unlawful interference with children’s right to privacy; they may have adverse consequences on children, which can continue to affect them at later stages of their lives.”
