The apps 'spying' on your child

Popular with kids as young as three, some apps are tracking your child's photos, eye movements and location, warn security experts

Parents are being warned that apps are ‘spying’ on their kids as they use their devices.

Security experts at Earthweb.com analysed the privacy policies of many of the most popular apps used by kids aged 3-18.

And they say nine of them – including a Paw Patrol and PJ Masks app – are collecting huge amounts of information.

They claim nearly a quarter have microphone access or store voice search recordings. And over one in three track everything your child is doing while on the app, including tracking their eye movements.

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'Apps that collect most data aimed at under-fives'

Recent findings from the Information Commissioner's Office shows that over seven in 10 children aged 3-18 use a device. They say half of all parents are worried about companies collecting personal data from their children. 

As a result Earthweb, a business and tech publication, conducted their own research. They say the majority of the apps that they investigated are tracking kids’ personal details – including age, gender and location. 

Earthweb say the PAW Patrol Rescue World app, which is based on the TV show which is a worldwide hit with youngsters, tracked the child's age, name and date of birth, gender, contact details and location data. 

The company has now released a list of the top nine apps which store the most personal data. And they have issued a warning to parents to check their kids devices and view the privacy policies of the apps they are using.

Earthweb claims these are the top apps which ‘spy’ on children: 

1.    PAW Patrol Rescue World

2.   Roblox

3.   Lingokids - Play & Learn

4.   TikTok

5.   Noggin Preschool Learning App

6.   Speech Blubs: Language Therapy

7.   Kiddopia - Kids Learning Games

8.   Instagram

9.   PJ Masks: Racing Heroes

10. Snapchat

Earthweb's Jason Wise said: ‘To protect children's privacy, parents must take proactive measures.

‘While fully comprehending app privacy policies before downloading may not always be possible, understanding how individual apps track children is crucial for tailoring effective online safety measures.’

How to keep your child safe online

We asked Internet Matters for their top tips for keeping your child's data safe:

Manage your permissions

When first using an app, both Android and iPhone will ask for permission for access to certain information such as 'Location' or 'Contacts. Before accepting, be sure to consider if this is information you want to share and keep in mind that these permissions can be changed via your devices settings menu.

Look through the T's & C's

This will help you to understand what data is collected when you use social media, websites and gadgets. While reading some platforms T's&C’s can be complicated and overwhelming, there are a number of simplified versions available online. The Children's Commissioners has provided ‘jargon buster’ versions of the terms and conditions for Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp or Instagram.

Be careful where you download the app from

Ensure you or your child only download apps from the official Google Play or Apple App Store. Before downloading, be sure to read review of the app to confirm it is legitimate.

Downloading from these sources will also ensure apps are kept up to date, including any changes to security or privacy features.

Ask organisations what information they hold about your child

Organisations are required to disclose what information they collect and why. This includes schools, online services and retail loyalty schemes. Be sure to raise any concerns you might have.

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