MRS Guidance: ICO Age Appropriate Design Code

MRS has produced this guidance to help practitioners understand the key points of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Age Appropriate Design Code and how it applies to data collection exercises.

The Age Appropriate Design Code – or ‘Children’s Code’ – is a data protection code of practice for online services, such as apps, online games, and web and social media sites, likely to be accessed by children.

It translates the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements into design standards for online services, helping businesses understand what is expected of them.

The code aims not to protect children from the digital world, but instead protect them within it by ensuring online services are better designed with children in mind.

The Children’s Code came into force on 2 September 2020 and you now have less than 12 months to get everything in place. The ICO is providing a package of support for all sizes of business along the way. Organisations need to conform by 2 September 2021.

The Code is relevant for researchers e.g. using online products to test? with children, developing online research tools, etc.

View the full PDF here