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xNew UK data law introduces stronger protections for children’s privacy
Date: 22nd July 2025
Category:
General measures of implementation, Civil Rights and Freedoms
The UK Government has passed the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, bringing major updates to data protection laws, particularly around children’s online safety and privacy.
The Act introduces new codes of practice for the use of data in education technology (EdTech), artificial intelligence (AI), and automated decision-making. It also updates the UK’s version of GDPR, which supports the Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) a key set of rules that protect children online. A major win for children’s rights came with an amendment to Article 25 of the UK GDPR, championed by 5Rights Honorary President, Baroness Beeban Kidron. This change means services must give children a higher level of protection and take into account their age and stage of development when using their data.
The Government also agreed to a new code of practice for EdTech, following research showing widespread misuse of children's data. Studies by the Digital Futures for Children Centre revealed that EdTech tools often track and profile children far beyond school use. In one case, a child using Google Classroom was tracked by 92 third-party companies, including TikTok and Amazon. To address these concerns, the Act includes a commitment to introduce clearer rules for AI and automated decisions, with a focus on keeping children safe. It also strengthens laws from the Online Safety Act, requiring tech companies to keep relevant data and allowing coroners to access it when investigating a child’s death linked to the online world.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will now review the AADC to see how these legal changes affect it. 5Rights has urged the Government and the ICO to maintain high standards and ensure protections are not reduced.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child called on the UK and Scottish Governments in its most recent recommendations, to ensure that children’s rights to privacy, protection, and safety online are fully upheld. It urged authorities to regulate how children’s data is collected and used especially in AI systems and to ensure that all digital services are designed in ways that respect children’s rights at all times.