Local design company launch report to help protect children online

Big Motive today launched its ‘Kids First’ report which aims to make online and digital experiences safer for children and young people.

Big Motive worked with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) last year to create design guidance for a new statutory code of practice called the Children’s Code. Its aim is to make apps and online services safer for children and young people and has already led to changes by Google, YouTube, Tik Tok and Instagram.

Using their extensive expertise in researching with and designing for children, along with the expert insight of fellow design professionals from organisations such as Spotify Kids, the BBC, 5Rights Foundation and YEO Messaging, Big Motive has created this report to share their knowledge, inspire others to create safer digital products and services, and celebrate those doing great work in the space.

Among the topics covered in the report are the rights of children in the online world, how to make the digital space a safer place, how and why to involve children in research methods and how putting kids first can benefit your organisation in the long run.

Stephen Shaw, UX Director at Big Motive said: “Our work with the ICO really opened our eyes to the array of dangers out there in the digital space and we realised that so much work still has to be done to ensure children’s safety is prioritised when products and services are being designed.

“At Big Motive, we are committed to keeping children and young people safe online and recognise that we have a role to play in achieving that. Rather than just improving our own practices and mindsets to promote that change, we wanted to share our key learnings and encourage other organisations to take the right steps towards putting kids first.”

Damian Cranney, Founder and Managing Director at Big Motive said: “We are seeing more and more tech organisations facing fines and some even being brought to court due to the mishandling of children’s personal information, data and privacy rights. This should be a wake-up call to everyone out there to take children’s safety seriously when creating online products and services. The digital landscape will continue to change and legislation will continue to evolve, so organisations must think ahead and take action before falling behind and risking negative consequences.

“We hope that this report will encourage organisations to think about their current practices and start on their journey to making the digital world a safer place for children and young people.”

Download the Kids First report here to help make digital and online experiences safer for children and young people.