Czech children under 16 will still be able to use Facebook or email without needing parental consent. The Data Protection Authority has modified its interpretation of the GDPR.
The General Data Protection Regulation regulates the handling of personal data of people of any age, not excluding children. And it is they who are covered by the section of the regulation that makes the creation of an email or Facebook account by children conditional on parental consent, for example. In the Czech Republic, this point does not apply.
The day before the GDPR came into force, the Office for Personal Data Protection modified its previous interpretation of the regulation.
“There will not be an exact age limit, because the GDPR refers to the civil law of each member state, and in our case it depends on the intellectual and voluntary maturity of a particular person,” explained Vít Zvánovec, head of the legislative department of the Office for Personal Data Protection. He added that the maturity of the child must be assessed by the parents.
No age restrictions on the use of e-mail services are planned by Seznam. According to its commissioner Lenka Ernestova, it will not require parental consent either. “There is no need. By the fact that it is not a service targeted at children, parental consent is not required there,” she explained.
Have you come across a specific situation involving children and GDPR and don’t know how to deal with it? Do not hesitate to contact us. We have specialists on our team who are ready to help you.