Children online and the future EU data protection framework: empirical evidences and legal analysis

Many international declarations and national regulations explicitly recognise the right to privacy of the child, as well as the right to the protection of personal data to each individual, regardless of her or his age. In order to take into account the new forms of social interaction, these provisions have to carefully consider the existing online context and the increasing interplay between the online and offline dimensions, which characterises teen life. From this perspective, the article examines a number of empirical studies on teen online behaviour, conducted in Europe and in other countries, as well as a recent survey conducted by the author. On the basis of the output of these studies, the author analyses the related legal implications within the EU legal framework. In light of the above, this article investigates whether the provisions of the new EU proposal adequately address the issues related to teen online behaviour.