The Transformation of Digital Privacy: A Child Rights Perspective on EU and Türkiye’s Regulatory Frameworks and Recent Developments

Authors : Ümit Yanik

Pages : 108-159

View : 123 | Download : 351

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study explores the transformation of digital privacy from a concept limited to protecting the individual’s private space into a multi-layered, relational, and dynamic right, shaped by legal, cultural, and technological developments. Focusing on the specific vulnerabilities of children, it examines the interplay between family dynamics, platform governance, AI-driven surveillance systems, and evolving regulatory frameworks, with a comparative analysis of Türkiye and European Union standards. Drawing on recent policy documents and reports from the OECD, European Commission, UNICEF, INHOPE, PDPA, and ICTA (2024–2025), the study identifies persistent regulatory gaps. It emphasizes the need for a governance model grounded in the “best interests of the child” principle. The findings highlight that protecting children’s digital privacy requires a holistic approach, combining legal safeguards, ethical principles, cultural awareness, rights-based digital literacy, and meaningful child participation in decision-making processes. The research further underscores that in Türkiye, digital privacy remains largely shaped by traditional norms, with insufficient recognition of children’s digital agency. Current policies must adapt to address emerging risks such as algorithmic profiling, intrusive parental monitoring, and the absence of robust consent mechanisms. Recommendations include the development of child-specific privacy policies tailored to age, developmental stage, and cultural context; the integration of digital rights education into formal curricula from early childhood; ethically grounded parental guidance; strengthened platform accountability and algorithmic transparency; and institutionalized channels for children’s voices in policymaking. Aligning Türkiye’s digital privacy policies with EU regulations and universal child rights standards is considered essential to ensuring both the agency and safety of children in the digital environment.
Keywords : dijital mahremiyet, dijital güvenlik, ebeveyn gözetimi, sosyal mdeya, veri koruma, AB düzenlemeleri

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