The Children’s Online Privacy Code (the Code) uses some words and terms that many people including children might find hard to understand.
Law makers use this language to try and make sure the rules and laws they create will work exactly how intend it to.
Here are some explanations of important words and phrases that you might see on our website or in the draft Code.
Access
The act of being able to see your personal information.
App
A computer program or software that has been created for a special reason, that you can download onto a phone, iPad, or laptop.
Examples include: a learn to read app, a recipe app, a shopping app, a gaming app, a social media app, a messaging app, a government app.
Australian Privacy Principles
Also known as the APPs. The APPs are existing rules organisationsmust follow to help protect everyone’s privacy.
Child
A person who is younger than 18 years old.
Code
A set of rules that are backed by the law, like the Children’s Online Privacy Code.
Collect
Online services collect your personal information when your personal information is handed over to them and they keep it (think of it like an online library of personal information). This might happen when you first sign up or use an app, game or website.
Consent
When you give permission to an online service to collect your personal information.
COPC
A short way of referring to the Children’s Online Privacy Code.
Data
Bits of information, like how many brothers or sisters you have or how many toys you have.
Data sharing
When an organisation shares your information with other users, websites, apps or businesses.
De-identified information
Information that has identifiers removed, such as a person’s name, address and birthdate, so no one can tell who the information is about.
Designated internet services
Services that let users use or receive documents over the internet, such as cloud storage or streaming platforms.
Digital footprint
The information you leave online when visiting websites and apps, such as your interests, habits and activities.
Digital literacy
Being able to use technology, such as computers, phones and the internet, in a safe and educated way.
Handle
The process when an online service collects, uses or shares your personal information.
Identifier
A special set of numbers, letters or symbols (or a combination of any or all of those things) that is used to identify you.
Informed consent
Being able to make your own decision because you have a clear understanding of the consequences of making (or not making) the decision.
Location tracking
When a feature of an online service allows your physical location to be seen by other people.
Notifications
A message from the online service like an app, game or website, that you are using.
Online activity
Means the things that you do online, for example who you message, who messages you, whether you buy something online, what photos and videos you look at a lot.
Online service
An online app, game or website.
Organisation
A group of people working together to achieve the same goal. Examples include a business that provides a service whether they make money or not, a company that runs an online service like an app, game of website, or part of the government.
Parental controls
Part of a device, app, game or website that lets parents see what children see or do online, stop them from doing it, or control how information is shared.
Permanently deleted
Means your personal information record is gone forever and there is no way to get it back.
Permission
When you say yes or no to an online service asking if you can give them your personal information. (This is also known as ‘Consent’)
Personal information
Information about who you are or what you do, including things like your name, address, email, phone number, school, date of birth, photos or videos of you, location, and online activity.
Privacy impact assessment
A way for an online service to check how it collects, manages and stores personal information to work out the risk and what they need to do to manage those risks.
Privacy rights
Freedoms and protections that say you are allowed to keep some personal things to yourself, and you can decide who should know those things.
Privacy policy
A form or statement that tells you how the app or website handles your information.
Privacy protections
Things that online services must do to help keep your personal information private.
Privacy settings
Controls you can change to help you manage who can contact you or see your profile when on a website or app, or how your personal information is handled.
Profile
This is like creating an “all about me” page.
Profiling
When an organisation uses your personal information to predict what you might do online, or to decide what messages or recommendations to show you.
Record
When an online service writes down the personal information you share.
Relevant electronic services
Online platforms where people can communicate with each other, like messaging apps, email, video calling sites and gaming sites with player chats.
Sensitive information
A type of personal information that people try to keep more private. It includes information or an opinion about an individual’s: racial or ethnic origin, political opinions or associations, religious or philosophical beliefs, some aspects of biometric information, trade union membership or associations, sexual orientation or practices, criminal record, health or genetic information. It is information that people can use to figure out who you are.
Share
Online services share your personal information when they give your personal information to another service. This might be for reasons that are to do with the actual online service, like learning how it could improve or it could be to try and get you to buy things.
Social Media Minimum Age
New rules that say users of certain social media platforms must be at least 16 years old.
Social media service
A website or app where people can connect, share information and have online chats and communications.
Specialise
To be like an expert on a specific topic, for example, an expert on children’s online privacy
Tracking
When a feature of an online service allows your online footprint to follow your real-life footprint.
Trained
When someone has learnt and gotten specific skills on a topic.
Username
A name that you create for yourself when you are using an online service (it could be your real name or a made up name) so that when you use the online service again it can remember who you are.
Unnecessary information
Information that is not needed for the online service to do its job.
Use
Online services use your personal information when they take the personal information they have collected from you and do things with it to help them like running the app, game or website, or to note down your interests so that it can show you ads that they know you will like.
