How Britain's new child privacy protections will impact the internet

A massive crackdown on how tech and social media companies use children's data is underway in the UK.

Over the next 12 months, everyone from YouTube to Spotify will legally have to conform to a set of 15 "standards" laid out in the catchily-named guide, "Age appropriate design: a code of practice for online services," released on Wednesday by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office.

If they don't make the necessary changes – which are aimed at anyone under the age of 18 – the companies risk regulatory action.

"The code is a set of 15 flexible standards — they do not ban or specifically prescribe — that provides built-in protection to allow children to explore, learn and play online by ensuring that the best interests of the child are the primary consideration when designing and developing online services," Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said in a statement. Read more...