Article 16: Privacy

Convention text

1. 

Children must not be subjected to unwarranted, arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy, family life, home or correspondence. Nor may their reputation be harmed.

2.

Every child has the right to the protection of the law against the interference and harm referred to in paragraph 1.

Key point

Every child has the right to privacy. The government must protect children against unwarranted interference with their privacy and family life.

Explanation

Privacy relates to your personal freedom and your ability to be alone or with others without interference. This means, for example, that parents may not read their children’s post, emails or diaries without permission. The right to privacy also means that you may not publish a photo of a child on a website, in a newspaper or in a magazine without the consent of the child or the parents. It also means that you may not share information about children with others without permission. Schools may therefore not simply share report marks with others, and care professionals may not disclose information about how children are feeling without consent.

How should you deal with privacy in the digital world?

On the internet and on social media, it is very easy to share personal information with others. Because many people do this, it often no longer raises concern, even though it may conflict with the right to privacy. You do not always know exactly who will see this information. It is therefore important to think carefully about what you post online or share via social media. Children also need to understand the risks and dangers of the internet and social media. They should also be given information about what they can do to stay safe in the digital world.

The right to privacy also includes protection against defamation. Defamation means saying something negative about someone while knowing that it is not true. This damages their reputation – that is, how others see them. The government must therefore protect children against sensitive information and private photos or videos of them being shared online or through other media without their knowledge or consent.